Like Father, Like Daughter
by Lt. Jessie
Summary: Taken during the time of the seventh and final Halo, a father is reunited with his daughter after so many years, only to find out that she has become what he had been protecting her from becoming: A Spartan...
1. Prologue

_**Like Father… Like Daughter…**_

_**Prologue**_

In the midst of battle…

When things are bleak and the odds are against you…

When you feel like giving up, or when your life slowly diminishes…

You remember a time when all was peaceful…

When you had parents who looked after you…

After the Covenant attacked and were suppressed for the time being…

But now…

Here I sit…

My comrades fallen while I barely live…

And here I lie…

Watching my life flash before my eyes as smoke stains the blue sky a putrid sepia…

My mind drifts into the past…

To the place I wish to be…

To the time I wish to live…

To the time…

Before I became…

A Spartan…


	2. Chapter 1

**SECTION 0 EC-468

* * *

**

_**My Origins**_

**Time: **1045 hours

**Date: **April 25, 2554 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **EC-468, planet Oki VI, Tokugawa System

The Tokugawa System…

One of the few remaining systems that have yet to see a Covenant invasion… It was nestled deep within the far reaches of space, where there were fewer human colonies inhabiting the planets here. Planet Oki VI was just one of few that saw human life, where humans came to build peaceful lives, away from the action and the garrulousness that Earth had. This was a place of peace, a place of quietness.

A lush planet that could very well be called Earth, it offered much more than what the human world of origin had to offer. Everything here was just perfect. Forests blanketed the lands while oceans rolled in its territories. Deserts stretched out for miles, only to be met with minute oasis scattered throughout the parched lands. It seems that this planet was untouched when man arrived, only to be carefully built upon, integrating technology with the nature the planet provided. Land was not cleared, but instead, the homes were built in small clearings, making tiny scattered villages. Other places had to call for larger land allotment, but this was done in great care so as not to upset the delicate balance. The populace thrived, but did not increase greatly. They did not want to overpopulate as they did on Earth, and carefully watched their own people. However, it was also in one of the colonies that my parents were wed, and a few years later, I was born.

I was born to a couple by the names of Master Chief Petty Officer Satoshi Miyazaki and Chief Petty Officer Cassandra Miyazaki. I was a healthy Japanese-European girl, happy and enjoying my freedom on Earth Colony EC-468. It was a time of peace after so long, as my hero, the one whom they called the 'Master Chief,' had pushed the Covenant to the point that they were suppressed and could not attack. They had battled on many artificial worlds that these aliens called 'Halo,' destroying them one by one. However, the Covenant force was rebuilding and launching their attacks again from many areas of various systems, and from what the reports said, they were attacking with the fiercest of force than before. Almost everyday, I would hear news on how many had died, and how only one, if not no one, survived.

I had just turned six that day and I was sitting in my room, looking at a hologram of the Master Chief, the one who destroyed the very first ring world the UNSC also finally dubbed 'Halo.' My father had gotten me a figurine of the great Spartan, and I had him displayed on my shelf, along with the model Warthogs and Scorpions that he had gotten me. Several other figures were also projected on the little eaves over my desk, as well as my bookshelf. Some of these miniature replicas were the Covenant dogs. When I had time, or I was alone and needed to amuse myself, I often staged wars with my action figures, setting up Marines and ODSTs in the Scorpions, Wolverines, Pelicans, and Warthogs while a lone Spartan stood in front of the whole platoon, leading a mock war against the Covenant in the hills and valleys on the battlefield that was once my bed. Blankets became rivers and valleys while pillows the mountains.

Here and there, the tiny Grunts would be flung about when the plastic grenades 'exploded' while Elites dove into the caves, only to be 'shot down' by the ODSTs that were 'hunting' them. Marines littered the field as they 'followed' the Chief, listening to his commands as they strove to protect the 'valley.' At times like this, my father would come in and join in, growling and snarling as I pretended to be the Chief and he the giant Hunter. I squealed as he playfully rammed me, but there were times that he got a little rough, and would cause tiny bruises. Mother would always scold him for being harsh, but I only laughed and proceeded with our 'fight,' laughter filling the air.

Other times, I wandered into my father's office, wanting to be with him. He'd always greet me warmly, and brought in my small box of toys that I always played with so that I could amuse myself while I kept him company; mother would be out working in a local hospital, taking care of the injured that seemingly flew in everyday. Then again, the other reason was because of what he had displayed. Not only did he have his service medals from being in the military, but he also had a suit… A suit similar to the one the Master Chief had. I adored the glimmering Mjolnir armor that he sported, as well as the weapons he wielded, which were mounted on the wall with protective casings to keep my curious hands from discharging such armaments. The visor shimmered in the artificial light, casting my reflection in its face. How I wanted to become a Spartan like him when I grew up, but little did I know that my wish would come true…

Three days following, a woman came and visited us. My mother introduced her as 'Aunty Halsey.' She seemed old for an aunt, but I had been raised to respect all elders if my parents approved. My parents watched as the new 'aunt' began to play with me. I had shown her the action figures of Spartans as well as the vehicles and weapons they used. I had seen some of these exact same, if not slightly upgraded, weapons mounted in my father's office, but it never did occur to me that he had been hiding something from me, something that would hurt me in the future… Halsey observed me carefully as I pieced together a puzzle of Earth, a Warthog, and a battleship. I was quick in analyzing the pieces and separating them by color and shape. I was also quick in putting them together. This managed to please 'Aunt Halsey,' but all I did was see this as fun. I had enjoyed putting these pictures together that I practically memorized where reach piece went, and as usual, I did this as a way of amusing myself when I came back from school.

She later took me outside and told me to run a bit. At first I was confused, and only jogged about. My father always told me that it was always good to warm up my muscles before doing anything, and running was just one of them. By the time I was ready, 'Aunt Halsey' was at the other side of the yard, a little stopwatch in hand. My mother was standing next to me, and told me to run as fast as I can. I did not understand this, but I did what I was told to do. She was very pleased as I rushed past her as fast as I could; running into my father's waiting arms. She glanced at the watch as I tackled my father, knocking him to the ground. Halsey was quite surprised at the intensity of the strike, as I had sent the two of us sliding for at least three meters.

After more playing, it was already lunchtime, and we went out to a nice little café in the middle of our quaint little village for lunch. 'Aunty' and my parents talked quietly while a new toy that she had given me had preoccupied me: a holo-ball that hovered in the air and projected different colors of lights. As much fun as it was, I had to be quiet and not cause such a ruckus in the presence of a visitor. Well-behaved I was, but it wasn't long before I dozed off into my naptime… Last I could remember was holding the ball closely as it shimmered, reminding me of the Chief's Mjolnir suit…

* * *

However, as the child slept, a debate was going on between the parents and the doctor, one that dealt with the fate of humanity and the fate of one child…

"We are in great need…" Dr. Halsey quietly whispered, watching the child sleep in her father's arms. "You know very well that all the outer colonies have been breached, if not destroyed, and Earth has been attacked."

"Halsey, we know of the project, but we cannot just give you our child," Cassandra replied. "She is the only one we have after many tries. You do not know how difficult it is…"

"And we won't let you put her through what you put me through…" Satoshi added. "It was enough that I was abducted by the UNSC to partake in the SPARTAN-III project, but to ask me to let my only child partake in the SPARTAN-IV project? I refuse to! I have had enough with you 'scientists' taking innocent children and creating them into tools of war!"

Halsey remained calm as she stirred her tea, adding small amounts of sugar at a time. She took a sip and looked at the child, then Satoshi, then Cassandra, only to let her eyes rest on the male officer again.

"Satoshi, you must understand," Halsey explained. "Unless we have more Spartans going out on to the field, the Marines and other armed forces cannot continue to hold up defenses. It's just impossible! I have already asked the other Spartans who are now considered retired and they have all agreed to allow their children to be used in the next generation of warriors, if not return to the war themselves."

Cassandra looked down sadly.

"Catherine," Cassandra whispered. "As much as we know you need all able bodies to be in your project, we just can't… Please do understand… We don't want to lose our little girl… Satoshi has told me what happens in your projects… All the sacrifices you have made of the innocent lives…"

The doctor glared at Satoshi, her grayish eyes holding a fire of determination.

"Very well…" she finally replied, but she had another plan of retrieving that girl for her own use. "I will relieve you of such task. After all, you are one of the few who actually reached retirement… And not to mention one of the few who has had at least one child, a child who is almost perfect in any way…"

The master chief petty officer stood up. There was an air about him, the feeling that death was knocking on one's door.

"I'm afraid you have overstayed your welcome here," he growled, cradling the sleeping child in his arms, blanketed with a simple sports coat. "Mark my words, Halsey. I may be a former Spartan and I will go into battle if I am called for duty, but if you are to lay one finger on my child, mark my words, I will hunt you down… And I will show you a wrath that not even the one called the Master Chief can equal…"

Satoshi turned around with his burden, followed by his wife as soon as they paid the bill. Halsey rested her right leg on her left knee, stroking a strand of hair.

"You know I will get my way, Satoshi…" she murmured. "I will get your daughter, one way or another…"

She stood up and promptly left, heading towards her ship. There has to be a way for her to get the child. Then, it clicked. The child had a large collection of Spartan action figures. Could it be that she wanted to be a Spartan, or meet one…? This could be very easy. After all, she had one Spartan with her and another waiting.

A large ship loomed in one of the main hangars, sleek and black with silver horizontal streaks running across its sides. It was a simple star cruiser with light armaments and a holding chamber with three cryo-tanks and a flash cloning device, but it was more than enough for her task at hand. After all, she was here to retrieve a child, not kill her. Once the child was in tow and the clone was dispatched, she would head into orbit to be picked up by the transport ship, _Britannia_, and head into deep space, where her project would bloom again. She entered the ship, only to be greeted by the Spartan in question.

"So, how did it go, Dr. Halsey?" the soldier asked, saluting as she stepped in.

"At ease…" the doctor replied, sitting at the main controls of the ship and turning on the computer. "This will be easier than what I thought… Satoshi will not let me have the child, but the child will be easier to get than you think."

The Spartan, a good 2 meters tall, looked down at the doctor, his reflective panel casting a very soft golden light on her pale face. It gave her skin an unearthly glow.

"And why is that?"

Halsey only chuckled as she uploaded her data, pulling out a picture of the girl's room. She turned to look up at her project result.

"Kale, tell me what you see in the picture…"

The Spartan looked at the images carefully, not wanting to state the obvious, but rather just be very vague and general as he did not want to over-exceed the doctor's expectations of him suddenly. He was always the quiet one compared to the others, wanting to work with the behind-the-scenes stuff rather than go out on to the battlefield.

"I see a child's room full of toys…"

"Not just any toys," she pointed out, zooming in on a shelf overhanging her bed. "She has a room full of Spartan figurines, not to mention that she has posters plastered on her wall and behind her door."

"So young, yet already exposed to all this…" Kale responded blankly. "Are you sure Satoshi was a SPARTAN-III subject?"

The doctor gave the Spartan a piercing glare, causing him to flinch under the half-ton armor.

"Did I make a mistake with the other Spartans?"

"No, ma'am… But what of Kelly? Is she ok? What does she have to do with this?"

"Kelly is getting ready to train those in the SPARTAN-IV project, as well as Chief Petty Officer Mendez… The first set of children is already on their way to the training facility… We will need to wait at least a week before we can actually get Satoshi's child…"

"Why is that, if I may ask?"

"Satoshi knows that I will find a way to get her, but as long as he thinks we're here, he won't put it to rest. He still has his suit, so you know what damage he can deal, even to you…"

"Understood… But what of the child?"

"See to it that you get me one of those limited edition Spartan action figures, will you…?"

"A toy?"

"Yes, a toy…"

"Yes, ma'am… Should I get anything else while I'm at it?"

"Get me a double-shot latte… I am in need of something to keep me awake while I run this data…"

"Yes, ma'am…"

The soldier left to complete his given task while the doctor sat at the controls, watching her recordings carefully. The way she ran… How nimble she was… How quick in the mind… And how respectful…

"She is perfect…" she murmured. "Just perfect… And who knows…? She may even surpass Satoshi… Her very own father, if not equal him in everything…"


	3. Chapter 2

_**Truth**_

**Time: **1800 hours

**Date: **April 25, 2554 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **EC-468, planet Oki VI, Tokugawa System

I awoke to the smell of dinner that evening on the sofa in the living room, still covered with my father's sports jacket. I knew dinner would be soon, and scrambled for the table, only to be caught from behind.

"Where is my little Spartan going?" I heard a deep voice laugh. "You know you have to take a bath first before eating dinner…"

I squealed and giggled, trying to squirm out of his arms, but his grip was strong, yet gentle at the same time. I managed to give him a few bruises before mother came in and took me into the folds of her apron, hiding me from my father's view as she ushered me to the bathroom for a bath. I heard his deep chuckle as my mother helped me get into the bathtub, splashing around happily. Within an hour, we were at the table, eating quietly while listening to the news. I listened tentatively while poking the green peas that were trying to roll away from my fork. Father shook his head as the numbers rolled on the screen mounted on the wall. He closed his eyes and had a moment of silence.

More had died that day. Several fleets had been destroyed, as well as over 30,000 men aboard those ships. Amongst those men were fifteen Spartans, all of whom had survived, and were now taking on the armada on their own. How young I was then, wishing to be on that battlefield, but I knew that would not come true. However, it was also because of that event did it set off a chain of events to follow…

Dinner was finished, and we had some family time in the woods. I still had one of my favorite figures in my hand as we walked along the riverbanks, my imagination taking over as I saw small leaves flowing downstream, like tiny green ships flying through space. I flung tiny pebbles at them, making tiny splashes as the leaves that were hit sunk to the bottom. Mother laughed softly as I looked at them, my face covered with tiny flecks of water from my 'battle in space.' Father would pick me up and let me rest on his shoulders as we went up the mountainside. It was here that we could see the whole of EC-468. It wasn't anything extreme, like the giant city ports of Earth, but it was quiet and peaceful, safe from the Covenant… Safe from the UNSC… Safe from danger…

I had been tucked into bed later that night when the call came. Father left the room to answer it, but the tone of his voice made me shudder in fear. He was mad, but I stayed quiet, trying to listen. Mother looked at me and stroked my hair. She told me not to worry about father, and that he would protect us no matter what. I nodded and curled up, trying to sleep peacefully in the soft glow of a plasma nightlight, but something bothered me… I had never heard father get angry before, but now, mother was also crying. I sneaked out of bed and edged along the wall until I reached the office. The light was on, and there was crack big enough for me to hear what was going on…

* * *

**Time: **2200 hours

**Date: **April 25, 2554 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **EC-468, planet Oki VI, Tokugawa System

"…But Satoshi, we need you…" a hologram blurted out. "We are losing men at an alarming rate!"

"I don't care…" the master chief petty officer grunted. "I am retried, and wish to live a peaceful life now… Why can't you accept that?"

"You don't understand the situation… We need as many able units as we can get! We need the Spartans to help us!"

The chief stood up, slamming his hands down on the oak desk. The objects on his table jolted as the shock quaked through them.

"What about those who have gone into hiding? What about them?"

"They are cowards, and shouldn't even be called Spartans!"

This made Satoshi very angry.

"How dare you call them cowards…" he growled. "They helped you already! They left because they did not want to be seen as outcasts anymore; to be treated as a normal human than anything else! This Spartan project only dehumanized them, making the rest of the human populous see us as nothing but freaks of nature that are created as only war machines with no purpose but to fight! Why can't you see that?"

"It does not matter what other people say… We are in dire need of every available Spartan possible…"

"I have a family now! Don't you see?"

The commander looked at the fearful Cassandra and shook his head, regretful of what he was about to say next.

"Forgive me for this, Mrs. Miyazaki, but this I must address…" the officer apologized before speaking with the chief again. "Satoshi, if we do not have your help to push back the Covenant, you will have no family…"

Stricken by this fact, Satoshi calmed down a bit and looked at Cassandra for a while before answering. Yes, it was true… If he didn't go out to help, then he wouldn't have a family to come back to, but even if he managed to protect his family, would it cost him his life? It was a lose-lose situation on his part, but he had a choice to make…

"I will do this for my family, not for anyone else…" he replied, his eyes stern, yet also lined with tears. "I will do what I can to protect my family… My wife… My daughter…"

"Very well then… We will pick you up in two days… Hopefully, that will give you time to get ready…"

The hologram disappeared, leaving the projector empty, lifeless, and cold. Satoshi sighed as he sank back into his desk chair, his face buried into his hands. Cassandra walked over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, weeping softly, not wanting to wake her child. He reached over and rested his right hand on hers. They wished it not be so, but it was time to bring out the Mjolnir…

The suit was displayed in a large bulletproof case built into the wall, where he had his medals and decorations laid out in the open in protective cases. It was posed in such a fashion that it was a living statue, ready to jump out and destroy. Down on one knee, one each gloved hand holding a caseless submachine gun. The belt held several fragmentation grenades, four to be exact, while four of the Covenant plasma grenades were sitting in a neat pile. Clips had been scattered at the foot of the suit, making it look like it was frozen in time during a war scene. Regardless, the suit would see war again, and this time, it would be for real.

The alarms surrounding the suit were deactivated, and the panel dropped into the ground, the armor showing its true luster under the LED lights. He walked over, Cassandra still holding on to him as he took off the helmet from the mannequin's head and held it in his bare hands. The cold steel sent a shiver down his spine as he remembered his time on the battlefield, and now, he was forced to go back again.

"Why…?" she asked between her sobs. "Why do they have to take you away from me now…"

"As much as I do not want to leave, I must… For your sake, and Neala's…"

"But what about Neala? She is so young… She will not understand this war… How will I explain your absence?"

"Tell her daddy's gone for a business and won't be home for a while," he replied. "She's so young… She won't notice that I might be dead…"

"No… Don't say that… You will live… You will return to me…"

He placed the helmet on the shelf and held his wife dearly, letting his hot tears of sadness, of pain, trickle down on to his love's hair. His voice was choked as she held him tightly, not wanting to let go.

"My love… I cannot guarantee it, but I will try… This is the price to pay for being a Spartan… A heavy price for being a living Spartan…"

A Spartan…? My father was a Spartan? Then why did he not let me know? Why didn't he want me to become a Spartan? I always thought the suit he had on display was a fake… And when he called me his 'little Spartan'… It wasn't just a coincidence… But I could help him so much more! I wanted to burst in, but seeing my mother's emotions, I refrained and sneaked back into my room, only to look out at the twin moons. How bright and beautiful it was, but if these aliens, the Covenant, were to come and destroy this place, then such beauty could not exist anymore… No… I would become a Spartan… I would fight for my home and protect everyone… My neighbors… My friends… My family…

I heard footsteps come towards my room, and quickly pretended to sleep. Father whispered something into my ear.

"My sweet Spartan…" he softly cooed in his deep voice. "I will return to you, and if not, I will meet you further down the road…"

I could hear my mother sob quietly, but I had heard everything…

My father was to leave in two days… To fight the Covenant… To protect us… But I wanted to protect him… I wanted to help him and repay him for protecting me during all those times… But fatigue had overcome me, and I needed sleep… I slowly drifted into slumber, only to dream of the defeat of the Covenant, once and for all…


	4. Chapter 3

_**The 'Death' of Neala Hiroshima Miyazaki, Daughter of Master Chief Petty Officer Satoshi Miyazaki and Chief Petty Officer Cassandra Miyazaki.**_

**Time: **1000 hours

**Date: **April 30, 2554 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **EC-468, planet Oki VI, Tokugawa System

The two days quickly came and left. My mother tried not to show too much emotion, but I knew the ache she had in her heart. Father had his bags packed, one of them on wheels as he said it was too heavy to carry on his own. The day before, I noticed that the case holding his suit was gone, so I knew it had to have been the armor that was sitting in the crate as five men towed it to the hangar. The officers arrived, and we said our goodbyes. I watched in blankness as my father entered the ship, echoes of the conversation two nights ago moaning in my mind. I was young, and let my childish ways play its part, but my mind was fully aware of what had happened. There was a war…

And my father had been called back for duty…

"Where is daddy going?" I asked in the childish voice I had.

"Daddy has business and won't be back for a long time…" my mother replied, trying to fight back the tears.

I looked up and brought out my arms, holding her in an embrace as the ship left the hangar.

The days following were quiet, and my mother was bed-ridden from grief. All was quiet in the house while neighbors came to visit and take care of me while my mother was sick. They were really nice, and played all sorts of games with me, like oddball and capture the flag, games that I always played with when my father came back from work. Other times, they came to help with chores around the house and took my mother and I out to the nearby park to get some fresh air. I would play with the other children happily, as well as pick the tiny flowers that grew on the edge of the pond, giving it to my mother to cheer her up. Her eyes would just tear up as she looked upon these small tokens, but I was there to wipe them away for her, settling in her lap and leaning into her body, keeping her company while father was on his 'trip.'

One day, I had wandered into the yard to play by myself, as everyone was busy, only to be attracted by something shiny, something that was a Spartan action figure. I picked it up, only to have a shadow loom over me. I would have yelled if it were not for what I saw.

"You… You look like this guy!" I whispered excitedly while pointing to the figure in my tiny hands, hopping from one foot to the other. "Do you know the Chief?"

I could feel his eyes behind the visors, watching my every movement as though calculating what I was able to do.

"Who, the Master Chief?" he answered in a warped voice.

I nodded quickly.

"Of course I know the Chief, and I can take you to see him."

I squealed with glee, but stopped as I looked back at the house, and pointed to it. He looked in the general direction as he took off his helmet. He was very pale for an adult, but he seemed to be very lively despite his ghostly appearance. I was worried about myself, as even though I knew what he was and what he stood for, or at least, that what I was told he stood for…

"But mommy's sick…"

The Spartan looked down and nodded.

"I can bring you back as soon as you meet him."

I took a few steps back and he leaned against the fence.

"…But you're a stranger…" I whimpered, clutching the figure with my tiny fingers close to my chest.

"Nah…" he laughed. "My name is Kale."

"Ka-le?"

"No, Kale…"

"Kay-el…?"

"Close enough. I know your father. Master Chief Petty Officer Satoshi Miyazaki. He and I worked together."

I was quite wary about this, but then again, my father did have his friends over now and then, just that they never had a suit on. They usually only came in their regular clothes, playing something called 'slayer' late at night in the living room.

"You sure…?"

The Spartan pulled out a picture from one of his many pouches on his belt and gave it to me. There were two men in it, both of them in suits, both of them holding a woman between them. There was my father and he with my mother in the middle, posing at a party.

"Yeah, your father is one of the best, but I'm sure he could use a lot of help on the field…"

This had gotten my interest. I have always wanted to help my father, and now, I was given a small opening, or more like bait, as I later learned…

"Help…?"

"Yeah… I can even take you to the place where they turn you into a Spartan, and then you can help your father!"

Spartan… To become a Spartan… I looked at the suit he wore… To be in one of those… A Mark VII, was it? Yes… I had to become one… To help him… But something stopped me… My mother… She needed me here, and if I disappeared, she would die…

"But what about mommy…?" I asked. "Daddy left, but if I leave, mommy will be sad…"

Kale looked down at me as he put on his helmet.

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything, ok?"

I nodded and followed him, wanting to become a Spartan and help my family. I felt as though it were a dream finally come true, but everything happened so fast without my acknowledgement as we approached the woods, and within what felt like two seconds with the Spartan, I was unconscious…

* * *

Cassandra sat up in bed, her head pounding, but she got up and headed towards the front door. She had slept a good portion of the day, and could tell that her daughter had been keeping watch over her from time to time by the amount of biscuit crumbs and Spartan figures that were scattered in a corner of the master suite. Towels had been pulled out and made into small hills while the face towels were made into tents and caves for the Spartans and the Covenant figures respectively. She glanced around to see if her daughter was in sight, but no. There was not a trace of her presence in the room. It seemed too quiet, yet she had a feeling that her daughter was hiding again, if not sleeping.

"Neala?" she called out. "Neala? Where are you dear?"

But there was no answer. She went into the child's room, searching through every possible hiding place, but found nothing.

"Neala, stop playing hide-and-seek and please come out…" the mother pleaded, her voice tinted with worry.

She rounded the house twice, but still found nothing. As she reached the gate, she saw a girl running towards her, crying and screaming franticly. Blood was streaked across the child's face, her hair caked with dirt and leaves. She squinted for a better look and let out an ear-piercing scream.

"NEALA!"

The officer ran into the house to grab her pistol and ran back out, firing at the thugs chasing her daughter. Bullets filled the air and found a few marks on the oncoming petty officer. She threw a flash grenade and ran out, but it was too late. Had she been there a second sooner would her daughter be safe, but no…

It was too late...

A tiny body lay on the ground, drowning in a pool of blood. In her anger, Cassandra stood up and unloaded her weapon completely on the attackers, all twelve rounds. People in the surrounding area quickly came over, only to see the officer, empty pistol still clicking, dead bodies in front of her save for one who was barely hanging on, her dead child behind her. Blood had stained her fair skin, wound casting pain into the body as the red-hot bullets seared her raw flesh, yet there she stood, still blinded by her rage, not taking any notice to the wounds she had scored. Several ran back to the village for help while others approached her cautiously, only to watch as she fell into despair. Those who were nearest to the family came and took her in, along with the dead child, as she would not let it leave her sight. The officers came, as well as the ambulance, taking the two to the nearest hospital, only for the mother to scream her child's name as she was separated from the corpse, trying to extend her weak arms for the lifeless body.

"NEALA!"

* * *

**Time: **1215 hours

**Date: **May 7, 2554 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **EC-468, planet Oki VI, Tokugawa System

For days, Cassandra would not eat, nor would she sleep. She would just stare into space, lost in thought… The living convict was executed four days afterwards in the outskirts of the quaint village by firing range, and the child buried two days following the execution, both in the presence of the parents. The UNSC had allowed for Satoshi to return to EC-468 to grieve for his daughter's death; he had wished that he had stayed instead of accepting the call of duty. After several weeks, Cassandra had finally recuperated, but she was not herself anymore. Daily, she had this dark atmosphere about her, nightly, she avoided everyone. Her family was constantly watching her, fearing that she would do something extreme. They even had doctors come, but she shunned them away. She wanted to be alone with her husband.

She and Satoshi were walking in the forest one night, only to notice a Spartan figure in the tall grass. Cassandra bent down and picked it up, staring at its detail, thinking of her daughter.

"If only she grew up… To really become a Spartan…" she whispered, Satoshi holding her tightly as he knelt beside her. "Then… At least… she would've had… her dream come true…"

"Yes, but are the risks worth it…?" Satoshi asked, burying his face into her golden cascade. "They killed many innocent lives, only for a small handful to survive…"

"Neala was strong, and could've survived… She had your strength… She looked up to you… She worshiped you… Oh… Satoshi… I miss her… Our only daughter… After many years of struggle…" Cassandra broke down, weeping bitterly for her lost child. "Even if we manage to have another child, it will not be the same as our little Neala…"

Satoshi held her close as she buried her face into his armor, and his face into her soft golden locks. He hummed in a low baritone level a lullaby that he sung for his now-deceased daughter when she couldn't rest easy at night. Cassandra whimpered softly as the notes reminded her of the restless nights she had when their daughter was a newborn, trying to tame her to sleep. Tiring as those nights were, it was what created a family, but now, their family was falling apart. She cried again before he whispered something to comfort her a bit.

"Nothing can replace Neala, but she still lives in our hearts… And will be until we meet her further down the road…"

Hours of grieving passed for the distressing couple, only to be broken by the presence of two UNSC officers. Satoshi stood up with Cassandra. With a nod, they were escorted back to the wife's family's house, where she would be taken care of for the time being. The master chief petty officer looked at his wife longingly, lovingly, and sadly. He gently caressed her cheek with his gloved hand and gently kissed her quivering lips. Cassandra held her Spartan dearly, not wanting to let go, but the time had come for him to fight what seemed to be a never-ending war. She felt him pull away, the warm suit leaving her embrace. She looked at him, recording his image in her mind.

Tall… Powerful… A survivor of many battles… An officer… A leader… But past that cold, hard exterior peppered with battle scars was something else… A caring husband… A loving father… Why did they have to call him now, of all times…?

"Cassandra… Dear… Please wait for me…" he whispered as he took his helmet from her delicate, pale hands. "I will be back for you when I can… That is my promise to you… I love you… And I will always think of you…"

"Satoshi…"

It was a bitter farewell, for even Satoshi knew that his promise was futile, but it would give him strength to fight. Cassandra's mother, Matriarch Lillian Van Ness, came from behind and gently held her daughter's hand as he turned to look at the two men after he put on his helmet. Clad in the armor given to him, the Mjolnir Mark VII, he was a war-machine… able to lift more than three times their body weight… able to run 55 mph… able to target and kill with precision… He was a tool of war… He was one of many whom mankind was depending on to survive… He was a Spartan…

"Let's move out, men…" his warped voice commanded. "The Covenant is moving fast, and we have the welcome mat to roll out…"

The two saluted and turned about face, marching towards the hangar. Cassandra and her family saluted, wishing him good luck and a safe return, but as soon as the ship left atmosphere, Cassandra fell into coma and was promptly sent to the hospital. Lillian looked at the family members who had stayed behind from escorting her daughter.

"Tell nothing of this to Satoshi…" she whispered as the family gathered around her. "He has enough to worry about, let alone have the burden of protecting humanity rest on his shoulders…"

The matriarch lifted her eyes up to the sky.

"May the Creator watch over you in this time of need…" she prayed as the others began to chant quietly. "Your family needs you, and you need them… May He Who Constructed Us increase your strength, surpassing what the man-made suit has already done. Come back to us when the war is over… And perhaps, all will be well once again…"


	5. Chapter 4

**SECTION 1 A SPARTAN'S LIFE

* * *

**

**_Orientation_**

**Time: **1515 hours

**Date: **May 7, 2554 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Holding Bay, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

I don't know how much time passed when I woke up, but I found that I was no longer on EC-468, or at least, nowhere I was familiar with. My body felt slightly numb, small burns scattered on my arms and legs. The last thing I remembered was walking with a Spartan named Kale, only for my world to turn black. Next thing I knew, I was in a very strange place. I tried to piece things together, but nothing was clicking. Had that man attacked me for no reason, or did he kidnap me… No mere human could take on him if someone did have the intention of kidnapping me, so there was no other conclusion… A Spartan… Kidnapping a child… He was no Spartan… He was a criminal…

And I was going to make him pay…

I was in a small room, a small tray of cookies and milk sitting in the corner. I promptly consumed these despite the strange bitter taste, as I was hungry. It felt like I hadn't eaten in weeks, which turned out to be the case as I heard two men walking past my door talking about the waking protocols for the other children on their way here, some having trouble waking from six weeks in cryostasis. I had heard stories from my father, where he would be frozen for long lengths of time during the wars, when he would sleep until they reached their destination. He showed me the burn scars he had from a mistake the cryo doctors made: a very large scar that he said felt like a full-blast plasma burn. So this was what minor plasma burns felt like… Pain… Like a knife cutting through the skin… But I saw that someone had treated them with some sort of ointment, and was healing fast.

I looked around in my new surroundings. The walls were bare and cold, made of steel painted white. Only one door led to the outside world, but there were bars in the window at the top. It was too high for me to look, but I knew for sure that this was not my home. I looked down at my shirt. I no longer wore the overalls my mother had dressed me in, but in a white shirt, white pants, and heavy black combat boots. I noticed that something was scribbled on the side of my shirt, made out to be 'Neala-468.' Neala-468…? I know I was from EC-468, but why not my full name? My name was Neala Hiroshima Miyazaki… I sat there in the corner, pondering this name they had given me, only to be interrupted by the sound of keys fumbling in the lock and disengaging it.

A tall man, dressed in military fatigues, stood there, a rod in hand. My eyes quickly adjusted to the bright light, and I stood up. He looked me over, only to lunge suddenly, bringing his rod into my side. I dodged quickly, but was too late and slammed into the wall. The pain spread, but I suppressed it. The man attacked again, but this time, I retaliated. I rolled between his legs, snatching the keys from his pocket and ran out, pulling to door shut and locking it before I could make an escape. Here and there, as I ran down the whitewashed halls, I heard crying and wailing, whimpering… I could not stand this. What was this place? I had to get out… Now…

Several men were in the hallway I had turned into, only to be chased by them. I ran as fast as I could. They were shooting at me, trying to take me down, but I wasn't going to let that happen. I turned and crouched, waiting for the right time. As soon as they were within range, I rammed into the first, aiming for his crotch. He doubled over, moaning in pain. I grabbed his rod, although heavy, and swung it. They caught it easily and pulled away, leaving me unarmed, but I knew better. I had dashed into another soldier, only to be sent back. I could tell that never had seen a child fight back so fiercely, but that was because I was a daughter of a Spartan… The daughter of Spartan Master Chief Petty Officer Satoshi Miyazaki and Chief Petty Officer Cassandra Miyazaki… I had the blood of a warrior in me, and I was not going to let it go to waste.

They began to surround me until I felt a sharp prick on the back of my neck. The next thing I knew, my world turned dark again…

* * *

A woman in a white lab coat entered the scene, her face screwed from fatigue and frustration. She looked at the injured personnel and then at the child. The soldiers backed off as she knelt down and plucked the tranquilizer dart from the sleeping body. Clearly, she was displeased, but inside, she was rather content with this particular specimen…

"What happened here," she demanded. "How did this child escape?"

"She managed to steal my keys from under me and locked me in her cell before running," the injured one moaned. "She's a feisty one, Dr. Halsey…"

"Feisty indeed…" she murmured. "Go to the medical ward and make sure she didn't castrate you by accident or something. She is a daughter of a Spartan, after all…"

The officer, aided by 2 others, left the hallway towards the medical bay while the other three stayed behind. Halsey looked at them.

"Get the children ready," she commanded. "I will be giving them a small briefing in the amphitheater in 2 hours… That should be more than enough for you to rally them…"

"And what about her?" another asked.

"The effects will wear off quickly," she replied, heading down the corridor. "Just make sure that you are careful with her, now that you know what she is capable of."

The trio nodded and grabbed the girl, dragging her back to the holding cell while the got the others ready.

* * *

Again, I awoke to bright lights, but this time, in a strange room. I had a slight headache, but managed to shake it off quickly while I looked about.

It was very large and had other children in here, children about the same age as myself. Some were crying while others were very still but scared. Still others had a face of stiffness, unable to convey their feelings. However, there were also armed personnel guarding each one. At my side, I could feel someone looming over me, and I hissed a small warning before turning my attention away from the adults. I looked down at the stage, only to see a woman step out into view. I instantly recognized her as 'Aunty Halsey'… Little did I know then that she was also the one who was responsible for capturing the other children, but I did not care… I wanted out. That was, until she explained everything.

* * *

**Time: **1715 hours

**Date: **May 7, 2554 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Main Amphitheater, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

Halsey looked at the youngsters. This was her 4th and final time to go through this. She had been perfecting the SPARTAN project after 3 rounds, and now, this was the 4th generation. The spotlight on her warmed the stage very much, but she easily adjusted to this as she prepared her speech.

The children, to her, were like sheep awaiting slaughter, and she was the butcher with the knife. However, she pinched her nerves and gathered her strength to push her conscious out of mind. Looking at her notes one last time, she sighed and turned on her mic, her voice giving the filled amphitheater a ghostly echo.

"You have been chosen by the UNSC to help in our project," she began, fighting her own conscious in the process. "You are here to help us with certain aspects of the project. Petty Chief Officer Mendez and I, as well as the faculty here on Reach-II, will be guiding you along the way."

_Dammit… _Halsey thought. _They won't understand this… They are mere kids, not prodigies…! They hardly know their ABC's and yet you tell them of their fate without them knowing it!_

She let out a low sigh. She had just sentenced another group of kids to their death, but such was the sacrifices needed to preserve mankind.

A ghost-like apparition, who took the form of the Grecian Goddess Athena in a white toga while stars decorated her hair, appeared. She gracefully stepped about, only to stand next to the doctor. The children seemed to be in awe with it as Halsey continued to explain what was going on.

"This is Minerva," the doctor introduced. "She will be your teacher while here on UNSC grounds. You will take daily lessons from her, as well as training under Officer Mendoza."

She continued on, even though she knew it was futile. As soon as she dismissed them for rest and environmental readjustments, Halsey sank into her chair, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Minerva projected herself as a small 6-inch silver figurine and sat on the podium.

"With all due respect, Dr. Halsey, you do need to rest…" the AI pointed out, the tiny lights shimmering about her head and trailing in her wake as she moved about the wooden plane, her long toga pursuing gracefully behind her. "Your lack of rest is taking a toll. You do need to take care of yourself better if you plan to live longer."

"I will be fine, Minerva…" the doctor replied as Mendez stood next to her. "I'd rather die younger, than live longer… Especially with this project… But I can't believe it…"

"Believe what…?" Mendez's gruff voice asked. "That you have sentenced at least three-quarters of these children to their deaths?"

"You'd think I'd be ok with it as this is my 4th time, but even still, it feels like my first…"

Mendez had a feeling of what Halsey was going through. He had seen it three times, so he was not surprised. Like these children knew what was going on. Already, a few had died on their way here. Hell, only a half would survive the first part, the weeding of the weaklings through training. After that, half of that would survive the tests he had prepared, the test of surviving in the wilderness. By then, she would only have a quarter of what she started with. Then, the real test would begin…

And only out of that, less than 50 would actually survive...

This was the test of ultimate survival to become a true Spartan…


	6. Chapter 5

**_CTF - Capture the Food_**

**Time: **2310 hours

**Date: **March 10, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Camp Recluse, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

For eight years, I, along with the other children, had been subject to extreme and brutal training, both physically and mentally, in all sorts of weather conditions. Everyday, we would wake up at 0500 hours to the uncouth prod of an EMR. We had 5 minutes to shower and put on our clothes before marching out to our lines, only to drop down into the dirt and do 500 pushups. When we had first arrived on Reach-II, we started out with 50, only to increase to what we have now. After 10 miles of running, we went straight to class, where Minerva would teach us many different subjects, from languages to mathematics to history… After that, we would return to our physical training after a quick lunch, only to end with a late dinner and showers before bunking down, as they called it. All these were important in our training, but I did not know that the historical and wildlife tactics would also aide in getting midnight dinners for us.

It was one night when my team had gotten last place for an obstacle course run. We, along with several others, had miscalculated a certain angle on one of the climbing poles, making us lose precious time. The one named Kitty-417 had somehow twisted her ankle going up the rope ladder. I assumed that it was nothing serious as she continued on, but the condition worsened. Sure she, Tommy-482, and I were hungry for that meal, but I would rather that she finished the race at her own pace rather than at the pace I wanted. We were not supposed to help our teammates if they got stuck, but I ran in and helped her up, encouraging her to move on. This was no war, but I treated it as such.

I had learned from the history books that being stationary only led to death, save those of sniper specialists, who knew how to stay stationary and shoot without getting hit themselves. Even so, sitting out there in the open battlefield, they were nothing but sitting ducks for their attackers. The other proctors at the scene were not thrilled, and proceeded to take me out of the course, only for me to lash back at them. I wanted Kitty to finish this course no matter what, and I was not going to let them stop her. It was a brutal fight, one that led to several bruises and broken bones. Mendez had been there, watching the whole thing unfold, my anger greatly overwhelming the seasoned soldier. Everyone looked at me in great curiosity and fear, wondering how I had been able to do what I did.

That night, we had been sent to our barracks without food, and our stomachs gnawed our insides, as well as the pain and burns I had endured from their EMR. Kitty was very hungry and whimpered softly as she tried to go to sleep. Tommy was tossing and turning in his bunk above me, murmuring as his stomach growled the loudest of the three of us. Everyone else had had their fill while we, the ones who had failed our mission, were paying the price of it. However, this had gone too far as we had been put under severe strain from lack of any real nourishment for the past few days. Tired of putting up with this, we had decided to invade the kitchen that night, to get enough to eat and head back without being caught.

We waited until everyone was asleep, and waited another hour until the coast was clear. It was the dead of night when we sneaked out and pilfered the food we needed to last for the night. Kitty, being the smallest she was, was our little scout, darting in and out of the darkness like the kitten she was. We threw pebbles and small stones in the direction we were facing, causing some distraction as Kitty slid and ducked under the bushes. By the time the guards returned to their post, we had disappeared from our last location and was in another.

Several times, we were stuck as guards were walking back and forth, but we stayed low in the dark, ground camouflage we had managed to get our hands on before embarking on our excursion. We had to wait several minutes at a time, keeping note of how each guard moved before we made our move. Like the wolves we saw in the videos Minerva showed us, we managed to split up and meet in the bushes behind the kitchen, using what we could to keep out of their line of sight, as well as the guard towers and their spotlights. This way and that, we used the poles to our advantage, as well as the overhanging communication wires. Several times, I had watched Tommy have some trouble climbing the pole, almost yelling as he just barely caught himself as a guard brushed past the pole. Thank goodness that part was hidden in the shadows, or else we would've been in trouble.

I waited as Tommy was making his way to the roof, ducking low when he landed. A guard had turned to look up, thinking that it was an owl that had landed to consume its nightly meal. Good… A small distraction… As soon as the watchtower light faced the other way, I made a made dash for the bushes, just barely making it before the light caught me. I waited another minute with bated breath, watching as the light strafed from my current position. I crawled on my belly to where my other two teammates were waiting and nodded with satisfaction. As soon as Tommy was able to pick the lock with a needle he had found, we quietly went in, took a few muffins and a few cartons of milk before leaving the place, everything still intact. With our small meal, we dove behind a wall and consumed these, feeling much better.

"Do you think someone noticed us?" Kitty squeaked, her eyes darting back and forth in the darkness, as though looking for something.

"I don't think so…" Tommy replied softly, drinking some of the cold milk before taking a bite of the muffin. As cold as it was, I saw that it was enough to sooth a parched throat, as well as quell the hunger of a growing boy. "If we were, then they would've gotten us, no?"

"You have a point there…" I murmured, wiping the crumbs from my face. "Now, you guys finish up, ok? I'm going to see if I can redirect that spotlight, or if not, at least annoy the soldiers so much that they have to move…"

Looking around, I found an old dishrag. I ripped these into strips and tied them together, creating one long strip. Tommy looked at it as I picked out a fair-sized stone and placed it in the middle of the cloth.

"Uh… What are you doing?"

"Causing a distraction…" I replied, grinning as they got up, ready to help. "You guys get ready to run and hide, ok? We'll need to split up this time. I'll take the front route and cause some problems for them, ok? You guys quickly head back to the barracks…"

"But what about what Mendez taught us?" Kitty whimpered. "We can't leave you behind!"

I looked at Kitty and reassured her as I slung the contraption over my shoulder, ready to give it a good whirling.

"You won't… I'll be near you guys, ok? Don't need to worry about me."

Kitty looked at Tommy, who only shook his head.

"Neala's right, Kitty…" he replied, dusting off the remaining crumbs, as well as the dirt on his pants. "She'll be ok… C'mon… We better get ready to jump into those bushes and make for the barracks."

I looked at the small one again, only to smile.

"Get ready…"

With a swing or two, the rock was in the air, and landed with a loud crash into one of the windows. The lights instantly aimed at the target. Taking this as our chance, we ran. Going with my plan, I took the lower route with my makeshift slingshot. The men were running to the scene, only to be confused as to where the stone had come from. I stopped behind one of the parked Warthogs and jumped in. Waiting for at least two minutes, I looked up, only to see two men approaching…

_Great…_ I thought, only to hear two more loud crashes into another set of windows opposite my current facing direction. _What the hell…?_

"What the hell was that?" I heard one murmur.

"Think it's the animals again?" another answered.

"I don't care… Let's just go see what it is…"

The men turned to leave, and I quickly jumped out the other way, scurrying into the darkness and around the perimeter, only to be greeted by my two friends. Kitty quickly clung on to my neck, almost suffocating me. Leaving the greetings aside, I had her riding on my back as we made double-time back to the barracks before any other mishap decided to jump into our faces. Already, we could hear some of the guards shouting out orders to secure the area. Scaring the wits out of us, we turned tail.

"I thought I told you to head back to the barracks!" I whispered, scolding them for not listening.

"We couldn't just leave you alone!" Tommy replied as we ran back to our bunks, dusting off before we stepped in. "Besides, Kitty wouldn't stop worrying about you…"

I looked at Kitty, and greeted her with the same smile before this fiasco happened.

"Thank you, Kitty…" I replied. "If it weren't for you, then I really would've been caught…"

"No problem…" she answered, yawning. "We better go to bed… I think it's about 0200 hours now…"

Tommy and I also followed suit, slipping into our sleepers before crashing for the night. At least what we had would hold us until morning. We slept soundly, knowing that no one knew what had happened…

* * *

**Time: **0020 hours

**Date: **March 11, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **CPO Mendez' Office, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

Or, so they thought…

Mendez was chuckling as he watched the whole scenario: three young teenagers sneaking around the perimeter of the camp in pilfered field camouflage to the kitchen and back again. He was rather impressed at the determination, as well as the resourcefulness, this particular female of the group had. Not only did she stand up for her teammates, but also she was also able to fight off men who were stronger and much more experienced then her. And on top of that, she was able to outwit the guards in a place that she was not familiar with, as well as the ability to make crude weapons from the simplest of things. The ability to quickly adapt was hard to find in people these days, but this girl quickly did so to reach her goal. The officer leaned back in his seat when he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in…"

The door opened and footsteps could be heard as they approached the desk.

"Mendez, what are you doing still up?"

He turned around, only to see Catherine. The doctor was known to stay up in the long hours of the night, preparing the rooms in the lower research facilities for the operation process, as well as running over last-minute details on the mortality rate this project would have. She needed a break and had come up to see the officer.

"And what are you doing watching the security cameras?"

Mendez chuckled as he lit a cigar.

"You remember how we send the last squad to finish the course to bed without a meal?"

Halsey sat in the empty chair in front of the desk and tilted her head to one side, clearly obvious that she was tired, but wanted to find a way to wake up.

"I am not too familiar with your ways of teaching, but please, do entertain me here…"

The officer chuckled as he turned to face her.

"Never did lose your sense of humor, did you, Halsey?"

The doctor frowned, wrinkling her brow a bit. She was not in the mood to be taken lightly.

"Did I ever have a sense of humor, Petty Officer Mendez?"

Mendez sighed and turned back to his screen-covered wall.

"Well, it seems that this girl here…" He pointed to a stilled screen. "…Is quite the determined one…"

"Oh? And who are we speaking of?"

The computer enlarged the dark shape in the shadows and enhanced the lighting.

"I scanned her image prints and it comes out to be Spartan-468."

Halsey was not surprised at all. Neala was certainly very smart for her age, able to plan things out on the fly while also giving simple commands to those around her to get the job done. She was a natural born leader, but she was wondering if Neala would turn into the leader that was needed… John, or the Master Chief as everyone knew him as, was already on a mission, and the other Spartans were scattered in various areas, protecting Earth as well as seeking out the other Halos. Mendez puffed away on his cigar and chuckled.

"Tomorrow is the 'camping trip' that will test their survival skills…" the officer explained as a hologram map of the Tragedian Polar Zones appeared, followed by the projection of the physical conditions. "As you can see, the terrains here are much more treacherous than the ones on Reach. Again, I will be using the same technique as I did the last few projects… This time, we will be keeping an eye on Spartan-468… Don't know if she will cause an upheaval as Spartan-117 did when he was training here, but she does have the potential to become a leader… Should we put her to the test…?"

Halsey thought of this for a minute. If Neala was anywhere near what her father was like, then it would indeed be a great test, but to compare her against her most favorite subject in the SPARTAN-II Project? This was going to be very interesting. As a cup of coffee was set in front of her by the officer, Minerva appeared as a 6-inch figure with tiny floating stars, staring at the image. Mendez looked at the AI and smiled.

"Glad you decided to join us, Minerva," he greeted.

"And to you, too, sir," the hologram replied, the miniscule lights pulsing at random times as she floated about.

"And how are the lessons in class going?"

The hologram looked up, beaming a little before giving the full report.

"They are going according to the schedule planned. We finished covering the wars of ancient civilizations, like the Battle of Thermopylae and the Peloponnesian War, and are now covering some of the wars that happened in or affected the US, especially those of the American Revolution, World War I, World War II, and then moving on to the other wars, such as the War on Iraq that started in 2002. We shall begin coverage on Intergalactic War I and Intergalactic War II next week after our small discussion on animalistic behaviors in times of war."

"Thank you for the update, Minerva…"

"You are welcome, sir."

Mendez replayed the whole operation for Halsey and Minerva, pointing out at certain frames of what was being executed, as well as how well they were executed. He was quite pleased with her stealth.

"She certainly is quite the determined one…" the AI commented, landing on the desk and sitting on the box of cigars. "What do you plan for her? A gauntlet run? Some training time with the ODSTs?"

Halsey looked at Minerva, giving her a warning glare.

"Leave the Helljumpers out of this…" she warned. "The Spartans are far more superior to them in every imaginable way…"

The tiny figurine bowed deeply and looked at the doctor, tilting her head to one side.

"My apologies, doctor… I did not mean to offend you."

The doctor took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, relieving the pressure before putting them on again.

"It is quite all right… You meant no harm, but tell me, Mendez… How do you plan on testing her, other than the usual routine training?"

"Well, since she works well in groups, we shall see how she fares when we scatter them farther…" Mendez chuckled. "Very far from her… Then we shall see if she is able to fend for herself. If she is able to survive, then we shall put her against other tests, such as going up against one of the companies stationed here."

"Is that even possible?" the doctor asked as she cocked her head to one side. "You know very well that even with the split up, she will eventually come into contact with the others."

"We shall see how she fares," he replied, taking another puff of the Sweet Williams Cigar. "We shall see…"


	7. Chapter 6

_**Score One for the Humans**_

**Time: **0136 hours

**Date: **March 12, 2562 (Military Calendar) At least two weeks into the Ejomegian War

**Location: **In orbit, planet Ejomeg Secundus, Jeroma System

On the outskirts of the inner colonies, just in orbit of Ejomeg Secundus, a war was well underway. Thousands of Marines had been slaughtered as the Spartans fought fiercely with the Orbital Drop Shock Troops, otherwise known as the infamous ODST Helljumpers. Scattered on each of the eight protectorate stations were five Spartans leading a small team of ODSTs and Marines, each group holding their position as they were trying to guard the eight MAC cannons from being destroyed by the Covenant. These aliens had somehow managed to push their way through the security systems, mowing down whatever got in their way with their plasma weaponry.

Pairs of Hunters had been dispatched into each of the large lobbies as Grunts and Jackals marched in with plasma pistols, their radioactive fuel rod cannons decimating whatever stood in their trajectory path. Two Spartans equipped with sniper rifles had hidden themselves in the rafters of the facility, aiming for the bright orange patches on the back and stomachs of these beastly creatures when they reared to their full 8-foot height. Grunts came by the score, but the specialists, as well as the Marines on the ground, easily took care of them. The other three were holding their ground on the floor below, dealing with the dastardly special ops Elites, those that were trained specifically for missions such as these.

Spartan-384 was stationed on the Jo-Dihi station with his last minute team of four Spartans, five ODSTs, and thirty Marines. As much as he hated working with the egotistical Helljumpers, he had no choice as they all had one goal in mind, and that was to keep the Covenant at bay until they could get the defense systems back online. They had to keep them from getting their grubby claws on the weapon, or else they would be able to turn the MAC gun against the planet below, destroying millions of innocent lives as well as glassing the planet. The whole situation looked bleak, but they continued to suppress or be suppressed. Spartan-384 gave cover fire as his comrades were changing spent clips for fresh ones before returning fire.

"You holding up ok, Kyle?" he shouted into the secure channel to the Spartan next to him, the sound of the firing battle rifle drowning out his authoritative, yet concerned, voice if he had been using the suit's system to speak to them.

"Yes, I'm fine, Satoshi, but I'm not too sure about Randall," he reported in his heavy, German-accented voice, kneeling and peeking over in time to headshot a rampaging Elite. "He's been wounded since we arrived and his shields are low."

"See to him," the chief officer barked, dropping his battle rifle to his side and pulling up two submachine guns to let lose a whole plethora of blistering bullets, penetrating the enemy energy shield before penetrating their armor and piercing their flesh. "We need all able men to continue to fight!"

"Chief, sir!" a Marine shouted over the channel, heavy fire rattling the speaker systems. "We have a situation here!"

Out of ammunition, Satoshi quickly changed to his battle rifle to continue fire.

"Report, Richter! What's going on?"

The channel was full of static due to a Covenant communications dampener, but he could make out the Marine's tense voice giving the updates of the situation. He ducked as he changed clips for both SMGs as well as the battle rifle.

"Two Covenant dropships are inbound! The AI is reading at least two scores of Grunts, a score of Elites, and several Jackals!"

"Bring out the rocket launchers and see if you can get those stationary turrets warmed up!"

"Sir, the ships are unloading their passengers!"

"Then roll out the welcome mat and give them hell!"

They came as an unsuspecting wave, a large tsunami of alien warriors bent on universal domination. Kyle stood up and opened fire as Randall also got up to give cover. The snipers on the top quickly dealt with the Jackal snipers before jumping down to the meet with their comrades. Roar after roar, Elites and Grunts went down, only to be replaced by Jackals carrying the Covenant equivalent of a human sniper rifle and Brutes with their monstrous Brute Shots. These large bear-like creatures fired at will, grenades bouncing off the walls and behind enemy lines. Everyone cleared away, save for a few unlucky Marines, and jumped into the fray, beating on these hairy beasts with their rifles before blowing their brains out with stolen plasma grenades.

"THIS IS SUICIDE!" one of the marines shouted. "I'm out of here!"

"Hold your position, private!" the sergeant shouted, grabbing the scared young man by the collar of his vest. "If you want to live, you fight for your life, not run for it!"

"Sergeant Blitz O'Malley!" Satoshi shouted through his speakers. "Watch the left flank! The Grunts and Elites are pushing their way through! The ODSTs are taking the right!"

"Sir! Yes, sir!" the sergeant replied, looking at his men. "You heard the Spartan! Get out there and get tactical, Marines!"

Several Marines in bullet-peppered armor opened fire from the stationary turrets in a sweeping motion, easily picking off the Grunts, but they also became easy targets for the sniping Jackals. Down they went, only to be replaced by another Marine while the bird-like creatures reloaded their weapon. These living Marines continued fire, dominating the opposition as their comrades below worked with the oncoming wave.

Opening fire, these aliens were taken out, leaving a clear path for a fresh wave of combatants. Picking up one of the fallen particle beam rifles, Tanoak aimed and fired, letting loose a concentrated beam of energy. It pierced through an Elite's head, coming out the backside as blood rained on the cannon fodder behind it. Several Grunts that had been traveling with this now-dead Elite were scared witless and ran, covered in its purple blood, screaming about as only a handful returned fire.

"Run away!" one shouted. "The Demons are here! Little people first! Aiee-aiee-aiee!"

As much as what they said was funny, Satoshi did not find this amusing and let his anger take over.

"Little people my ass!" he shouted, switching to his SMGs for some quick fire after Andes, one of the snipers, had thrown a pilfered plasma grenade. "You are the reason why I must be here! Why I was created for this!"

Taking a grenade himself, Satoshi pulled the pin and chucked it at the foot of a Hunter, taking it, along with several Grunts, Jackals, and Elites, out before another wave came. He ducked back down and changed the magazines before returning fire.

"_Fire Lance_, this is Spartan-384, do you copy? _Fire Lance_, do you read me?"

"We read you loud and clear, 384," the communications engineer's voice replied. "Things are starting to get noisy down there as much as it is all hell up here!"

"I know! Look, we need more covering fire until the MAC guns are back online! If not, at least get us some more supplies! We're running low on ammunition!"

A blast rocked the level as another pair of Hunters entered the scene, filling the air with radioactive projectiles. Satoshi huddled into a smaller ball to let the suit absorb the shock and looked up. His HUD was reading massive enemy fire, as well as several Elites beginning to flank about.

"Engineering is working as fast as they can to restore controls to the base defense system. Unfortunately, the Covenant has blown out the main satellite system that communicates with all of the other orbital defenses."

"I don't care! We need to get them online! Is there a way we can speed up the process?"

"We are working as fast as we can, 384. You will have to wait as our AIs are now overclocking the systems, as well as using all available resources to get these things online."

"Grr… I don't have time for this! Get me a Longsword this instant!"

"I'm afraid all the Longswords are out of the hangar and fighting the Covenant battleships."

"What about the Pelicans?"

"They are on the planet surface, picking up and escorting civilians out of the cities."

"Grr… Just make sure that we get some supplies ASAP! I don't know how much longer we can hold them!"

Just as he said this, several Marines from the upper levels came running down the stairways, firing rockets and blasting even the Hunters and Brutes a good fifty meters away.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" one shouted, throwing two grenades at the enemy while launching two Jackhammer rockets.

The other units that were caught in the blast were also sent flying in all directions, their arms and legs flailing lifelessly as life escaped their bodies. Satoshi made a run for the upper decks, clearing out the Drones that had managed to capture the upper post. Throwing down his empty SMGs and picking up a nearby Covenant carbine, he made quick work of these giant insectoids and ran for the top.

"Andes, you and Mike get up here now!" he shouted, breathing heavily as he leapt over the mounds of bodies that had been his opponents. "I'm gonna need some help getting this thing to run on its own!"

"We're on our way, sir!" Andes replied as a Marine, the one named Mike, was running behind him, giving him cover from the back.

Satoshi jumped into the control room, unleashing beams of burning energy, searing clean holes into the shields of the Elites and Brutes. Several Jackals were waiting on the other side, and the chief had taken a few blows into his left arm from the weapons they wielded. Ducking behind a pillar, he reloaded the weapon and held his breath for a few second before emerging and returning fire, but when he appeared, the room was empty. The Jackals had disappeared, the room dangerously quiet.

He sidestepped towards another pillar, finding a temporary refuge while he checked his HUD. His heart beat loudly in his ears, deafening his own thoughts. He could see three winking yellow lights, one belonging to him while the other two were Andes and Mike. The two smaller yellow dots began to approach his position. He looked towards the main doorway and saw the two, one in the dark green Mjolnir suit while the other in Marine standard fatigues, both crouched and waiting for further instructions.

"Sir, we're here," came Andes' voice on the secure channel.

"Hold your position…" the leader murmured, looking over his shoulder to see if the two Jackals were still there. "There are two hidden Jackals in here, each armed with a particle beam rifle…"

"We'll round the top and look from there."

"Roger that…"

Andes looked at Mike and nodded. The two crouched as they slowly moved in towards the stairs. With unhurried movements, they quietly went up the stairs and set up their rifles, lying on their stomachs as they adjusted the scopes. As soon as the Spartan was able to link with his sniper's scope, he searched the area, only to see minute movement behind one of the computers.

"Chief, we see them…"

"Where are they?"

"Jackals at your 10:00, and it looks like we have some company coming in… There are three Brutes coming in at your 12… They're using the systems as shields, so we're running the risk of damaging the systems if they move…"

"Got any clean shots from there?"

"Yeah, Mike and I will be able to pick them off… We put on the silencers, so I doubt they'll be able to trace us… Might get some attention, but if we work quickly, we won't cause any alarm to the others."

"Good… Fire away…"

Within a few seconds, the Brutes and Jackals were dead, and the leader stepped out into full view, taking out those that were still hanging on to life. He walked over to a hairy mass, a growling hairy mass whose eyes showed deep hate, but the officer's hate was much stronger. Taking an Energy Sword an Elite had dropped, he beheaded the Brute and stared at its soulless, lifeless head. Blood poured from the body as more dripped from the head, sliding off the sinews and muscles, forming small pools at his feet, as well as staining his green armor a poisonous purple.

"Take that, you Covenant scum…" Satoshi growled, crushing the skull with his bare hands and throwing the remains away.

The other two jumped down from their positions and began to check the systems. Thankfully, none of the hardware had been damaged, but the AI was certainly destroyed due to a faulty code that executed the Cole Protocols.

"We'll need to manually get this thing into gear while they fix the main station…" Mike reported, his hands dancing on the keyboards. "Don't know how long it will take me, but I'm working as fast as I can."

"Good… The faster we get these up, the sooner we can fire at that hell ship the beasts call _Cleric's Revelation_ out of the sky…" Satoshi murmured as he began to collect usable ammunition from the dead bodies. "We will destroy them… We did it once when we killed their prophets, and we will do it again…"

He turned back to his barbaric deeds, only to let his mind wander, and as he did, he began to calm down, seeking a quiet pillar to be with himself.

His thoughts kept turning back to his home on EC-468, where his beloved wife was waiting for his return. Although his only daughter was dead, his mind always kept turning to them in times of quietness, when there was no battling going on, a time of peace. He would remember the times his daughter would jump on him after a long day at work, rekindling his weary spirit. Her bright eyes and smiling face always brought comfort to him when he was called to retire for a certain number of hours before returning to the field. His wife would also be there, waiting for him to clean up before having dinner as a family. When they had tucked their girl into bed, they would spend long quiet walks under the moons of EC-468, showing their affection for each other. He closed his eyes, praying quietly for his wife's safety, praying that he would return to her one day, when the Covenant is wiped from existence…

"Sir? Sir, can you hear me? Is everything all right?"

Satoshi was forced back into reality as he opened his eyes, the images of his home disappearing and replaced with the cold station he was guarding. He looked around and sighed, only to look at the Marine.

"Yes, lieutenant?"

"Sir, the MAC is online and warming up," Mike reported, reading the nearby monitors. "MAC at 15 and charging."

"Good, let's return to the others and keep up the defenses," he commanded. "It'll be a while for these guns to get hot. I'll control the cannon remotely from below… We'll need all the fighting chance we can get…"

As they double-timed to the fight below, Andes stayed by Satoshi's side as he reloaded his empty sniper and battle rifles.

"Chief…" Andes whispered on the private COM. "Are you ok? You seem very… quiet suddenly…"

"I am fine, corporal…" he replied, slightly choking a bit as he had tears running down his face, frustrated that he couldn't wipe them away with his helmet on. "Just…"

"Remembering _them_, aren't you…?"

The master chief sighed and stopped for a minute, letting his battle rifle rest at his side. His right shoulder leaned against the wall, as though he was weary from the running and battles, but it was because he was mentally exhausted. He had pushed his body beyond his limits before, but his mind was not ready to return for another round of hell with the Covenant.

"What can you do when you know that there is little to no chance of your survival in this war, yet you promised your wife that you would return safely…?" he murmured, pulling out a fresh clip for his rifle and checking the Energy Sword.

Andes turned and looked at his superior. He was not a married man, let alone a man with loved ones that worried about him, but he cared about his teammates and offered advice when possible. He walked up a few steps, looking at the chief.

"Oh…" the corporal replied softly. "One of those situations, isn't it…? Think of it this way… When we fight, we fight for what we stand for, as well as whom we cherish… If we die in battle, it is not in vain, for we have done all we can… Mentally… Physically… Emotionally… Spiritually… If we do die, then those who hear of it will know that our efforts did not die as it is only a symbol that the dead will continue to fight in the afterlife along side the living."

"I guess you're right…"

"I am sure she will understand, chief… After all, it is not the suit that she looks at, but the Spartan behind the suit… The human behind the Spartan… You need not be afraid, Satoshi… I think all of us have a fear of death in this time of peril, but we push it all aside, knowing that we are fighting for humanity's survival, and that the loss of lives is just one of many sacrifices we must make to live on…"

Satoshi dwelled on this quietly.

"I am grateful, corporal, that I am able to speak to a man of such wisdom…" he thanked. "It is times like these that I am uncertain about my future…"

"You need not worry about the future, for the future will worry about itself… Each day has enough troubles of its own…"

The chief looked up and smiled behind the visor.

"Again, thank you, corporal…"

Rekindled with a new fire, the two Spartans ran down, taking on the Covenant troops. Suddenly, as though a switch had been flipped from off to on, the whole station buzzed to life as the MAC cannon was fully charged and ready to fire. The main satellite system was back online and things were looking up. Satoshi looked at his HUD and grinned. A status gauge of all the orbital defense stations appeared in the corner of his screen, all the markers now green instead of the previous blood red. All systems were now online. He gave a loud whoop as the MAC guns on the remaining seven stations were now charging quickly, all aimed at the massive Covenant Assault Carrier. He ran to the upper decks as his men continued to keep up the defenses.

He looked at the controls. Everything was hot and ready to fire. He hooked up to the other Spartans on the other stations.

"This is Spartan-384 on the Jo-Dihi station! Come in, all Spartan units!" he commanded, adjusting the trajectory of the cannon after taking out a Spec Ops Elite. "Report in!"

The lines were scrambled, but within a few minutes, everything was clear again. They had taken out the communications dampener and everything was free from Covenant control. The other Spartan squad leaders began to report in.

"This is Spartan-392 of Team Alpha!" one voice called out. "MAC gun on the Ozatazu Station is good to go! Spartan-185 of Team Delta just reported in from the Yearrh Station, saying that her gun is good to go, but she has reported to have at least one Spartan casualty…"

"Damn… I'll speak with her later… Check with the others!"

A relay went out to stations Secundus, Edogomeg, Dyary, Eulm, and Imuzaho, all of them with their MAC at 100. He turned to the status screen and waited for Yearrh to readjust their aim. Within a few minutes, all had been locked on to _Cleric's Revelation_.

"FIRE!"

All the leaders on the other platform smashed the button, the whole station shaking as a fierce giant ball of mass was ejected from the cannons, creating a path straight to the ship. The Brutes, Grunts, and Hunters had lost their footing in the blast, only for the Helljumpers to jump in and kill them with everything they had. Blood sprayed the whole lobby, blood of both humans and aliens. By the time it was over, only five Spartans, two ODSTs, and five Marines were left standing for Satoshi's team. The remaining Covenant troops were dealt with quickly, killing any stragglers as well as destroying their weapons. Their bodies piled high as the ODSTs and Marines were gathering them together to dispose of in one go.

Satoshi watched as the other dropships turned tail, only to be destroyed in the blast radius of _Cleric's Revelation_. As fast and nimble as that ship was, they were not expecting for the humans to regain the systems so quickly. He returned to his squad and assessed his remaining team. Again, it was a heavy loss, but they did what they had to do…

"Looks like this round went to the humans…" Kyle murmured, taking off his helmet and leaning on Andes for support.

"Yeah, out of how many failed attempts we've had on protecting the inner colonies?" Tanoak replied as he muttered in disgust over the putrid, purple blood that had tarnished his suit.

As gross as it was to look at, the stench was just as horrifying, what one Marine had best described as 'garbage juice.' Indeed, they were scum… Scum that needed to be thrown out and destroyed.

"You think the UNSC will be happy about this report?" Randall asked as he stared at the dead Marine and ODST bodies.

"No, but they will be glad that we won this battle…" Satoshi sighed as he took off his helmet and brushed his hand through his graying, cropped hair. "However, I do have to report a loss of one Spartan in this whole battle…"

Everyone became quiet at the news of the death of one of their own. A ghostly silence enshrouded them as they stared at their leader. None of them could speak, but forced themselves to get some answers.

"What…?"

"Team Delta has reported one loss…" he explained. "Possibly from the overwhelming numbers, if not, any other situation is possible… I will be talking to their squad leader to get the full details as to what happened…"

"Damn… These dirtbags are just getting harder and harder to kill…" Kyle spat. "What are they looking for, anyway? I thought we destroyed all the sacred relics they call Halo…"

"Unfortunately, since Spartan-117's last report on Delta Halo, all we know was that there were six other constructs created along with Delta Halo, making it a total of seven."

"Yeah, but wasn't the first one he was on destroyed, as well as Delta Halo?" Tanoak growled. "And, let's not forget that they assaulted Earth again for something they called the Ark…"

"Yeah, but even he destroyed that place… All that remains are the remaining Halos."

"And just how many are we talking?"

"Only one now… The others have been sought out and destroyed according the UNSC records, but because of the report 117 gave, there is still one more left…"

"Wait, are you saying that the Covenant is still looking for one more Halo!" Kyle burst, wincing as the shock jarred his injured leg. "You have got to be kidding!"

"I'm afraid not…" Satoshi solemnly replied as Pelicans arrived to bring the officials, and both cleanup and maintenance crews to work on the station, as well as take the troops back to the main cruiser. "There is still one more Halo out there… And if they succeed in activating it, who knows how much damage it can do to us… We were aware with what seven Halos could do, which was to destroy all sentient life, but if only one was activated, the damage could be just as bad in any part of the galaxy, even though the blast radius is smaller than what seven are capable of…"

"And just where is this final Halo?" Andes murmured as they climbed aboard the waiting ship with the wounded.

"No one knows, but the UNSC fear that because it is the last one, more lives than all the wars combined in the history of humanity will be lost…"

Everyone was quiet as they paid homage to the dead and dusted off, heading for the waiting UNSC Marathon-Class Cruiser, _Forbidden Evolution_. Satoshi took his seat closest to the cockpit. He was tired, and wanted rest, but he knew a Spartan would not get any until the mission was complete, which was to now find the final Halo and destroy it before the Covenant activated it. The Covenant knew that the humans were now a force to be reckoned with, especially with these super soldiers that were called the Spartans. They had already experienced what one was able to do on both Delta Halo and the first Halo, now known as Alpha Halo. Now with a whole army of Spartans on the move to find the final ring world, it was humanity's last chance to survive…


	8. Chapter 7

**_"Camping"_**

**Time: **0500 hours

**Date: **March 12, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,000 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

The following morning, everyone was dressed in their extreme-weather clothing, being escorted to the waiting Pelicans. We didn't know what was going on, save for the fact that we were going 'camping.' All of us thought of the idea of going into the woods, but none of us thought of the idea of landing in an ice zone. Four Pelicans were in the air, each with a troop carrier, each holding twenty-five of us. Officer Mendez was on the one I was occupying. He stared at me, as though trying to read my thoughts. I didn't show fear in his presence, but I was downright scared of him. The last time someone had angered him, he had punished him so far that he had to be sent to the medical ward for several days. I looked at his eyes, only getting the feeling that he had something in store for me.

The bay doors of the Pelican was open and as we approached the first of the landing zones, we were given a sheet of paper, something that looked like a part of a map or something close to one. I stared at this while I was also focusing on the environment we were blurring past. It was a vast forest, blanketed in a thick layer of snow. A small ravine wound itself through the hills, emptying itself into a larger river, only to end up in a large lake. I nudged Kitty and let my eyes focus on the lake. She saw this and proceeded to send the message along the line in a very subtle way. I was the first to be dropped out. I stared at the others and then at Mendez.

"All right, private!" he shouted over the blast engines. "Your objective is to find your way to the rendezvous point within three days, where we will have a ship waiting for your arrival. If you fail to arrive when we dust off, then you had better prepare yourself for a long trek home, if you can make it…"

I only nodded then saluted as the Pelican took off to another landing zone, or LZ for short. I waited until I couldn't hear the engines anymore and darted in the direction they flew. They went a fair distance, at least twenty miles before stopping. I stopped to catch my breath several times, my eyes focused on my target. The Pelican was in the air again after my tenth rest, heading to yet another LZ. Using the watch they had equipped us with, I had timed my rests to be only five minutes long before dashing off again. Already, an hour had passed and the world around me was quiet… Too quiet for my liking…

As soon as I reached the edge of the forest, I jumped into the snow-laden branches of the trees, stealthily climbing the limbs while letting the snow drift to the ground. The cold certainly got to me, as I was not accustomed to such chill. Remembering what Minerva had taught us about survival tactics in the frigid climates. I could either dig a hole and hide there like an Arctic Fox, or I could keep moving like the wolves after migrating caribou. Staying still was not going to do me any good, so I had decided on the latter and kept trekking through the deep snow.

I had ended up in another clearing when I saw footprints in the snow, not of animals but of humans, a human child to be exact. I looked around, checking to see if the person was nearby. The waiting made me nervous, but I jumped down and proceeded to follow the prints, only to find that they led to a cavernous hole in the mountain. Stepping in, I was greeted by the familiar dark face of Tommy. What I wasn't expecting was the smirk on his face.

"Neala?" he jumped, grinning mischievously. "How did you find me so fast?"

"Followed your prints…" I replied, pointing at the snow as I pulled back my parka's hood. "How long have you been in here, and how did you find this cave?"

"About thirty minutes," he replied, jumping up and down to keep warm. "When news had gotten to me that you wanted us to meet at the lake, I thought it would be better if we found some sort of shelter in case the storm hits… I heard from the cockpit before being dropped off that there was a possibility of a heavy snowstorm coming in…"

"We had better find the others as soon as possible…" I murmured, checking to see which way the wind was blowing by holding out a strand of my hair and checking the compass that was built into the watches. "It's blowing east, which means the storm is coming from the west… Do you have the emergency pack that Mendez gave us?"

"Yeah, right here…"

I watched as he produced the package from inside his parka, but I noticed that his jacket was a little on the… bulky side… Bulkier than the others to say the least… Even with the emergency pack, my jacket did not seem like an over-inflated Warthog tire. I was beginning to worry about him and poked him in the stomach.

"…What'd you eat before boarding the Pelican? Pilfered donuts from the kitchen again? If not, I swear, that must've been one heck of a fatty-loaded breakfast you had… You know Mendez will have your butt on a silver platter for eating that much…"

"Nope…" he chuckled, patting his 'belly.' "Just some 'extras' I decided to pack away…"

I had edged towards the center of the room, shuddering as I remembered the collection of rattails he had in his barrack closet. It was the grossest thing I have ever encountered, and knowing Tommy, he was just as insane as they came…

"Ok… If it is what you usually pack, then I'm going to move away from you very quickly then…"

I opened my pack and looked through its contents. There was a signal flare pistol for emergencies while there were enough rations of food and water to hold one person out for the entire duration of the training session. There was also a silver-sealed pouch that held three glow sticks, enough to give us light at night for up to six hours each, enough for us to move by night if we were pressed for time.

"You have the glow sticks that came with them?"

There was no answer. I looked up at Tommy, who was now sitting on the ground like a dog of some sort. In his mouth was an identical silver pouch. His lips wore a feral, toothy grin, as he laughed lowly.

"Hehehe…"

His laugh began to make me feel very uncomfortable, even though he was my bunkmate, as well as my teammate. I mean, sure I was ok with some insanity from him, as I had learned this the first few weeks we were in the same room together – poor Kitty took a long time to adjust to his 'unnaturalness.' I edged away further, blinking at him.

"Ok, what are you laughing about now?"

"I managed to get my hands on some extra ones back at camp before we dusted off…" he cackled, digging into his pockets to reveal a fistful of wrapped glow sticks. "Thought it would be best that we were as prepared as possible…"

I crossed my arms over my chest, tapping my foot on the stone floor, wanting a better explanation.

"And I don't suppose you also stole some extra rations…?"

My jaw dropped as he unzipped his jacket, revealing five extra emergency pouches, as well as extra ammunition for the flares. His grin was now wide on his face as he laughed.

"Only doing what's best, team leader!"

"And just how did you manage to pilfer all this!" I demanded.

"Oh… Just being the sneaky little kid I am…" he calmly replied, grinning as his cropped hair, still somehow unruly at such short lengths, finished his look of wildness.

"You had better hope Mendez doesn't know of this…" I murmured, putting away my supplies as we walked out to search for the others. "If he finds out, you are dead…"

"Nah… Don't worry about me…" he clicked. "I'll be fine…"

I stared into the barren wasteland of ice and snow. We had a few hours to gather everyone before the storm hit, and if it did, we would have to bunk down until it passed. Tommy had picked up one of the packs and placed it back under his jacket while he buried the rest under the snow that had collected on the higher ledges. As soon as he dropped down, I had snapped a glow stick and placed it as a marker at the mouth of the cave.

"What's that for?" Tommy asked as he pulled his hood over his head.

"That way, if anyone sees this, they should stop here…" I explained. "Ok, now which way did you see the Pelican take off to after you were dropped off?"

"I was facing against the wind and it took off in my 2:00 direction."

"So you were facing west, which means the Pelican went northwest… About how many miles, you gather?"

"Probably a good ten to twenty, but other than that, it's a long hike."

"We'll have to work fast… You go ahead and head back to where you were dropped off and search there while I go search for the others near the lake. We'll meet back in about three hours with whomever we have, regroup, and then head out until we find everyone. We don't want any of our people to be stranded…"

Tommy nodded and took off towards his original position while I rounded the other way, searching from the peaks for any movement. I had a spectacular view from here. The lake, although partially frozen along the edges, shone like a blue jewel set in white marble, the trees being the enamel that delicately accented the edges.

For a while, my mind was lost in thought, wandering through the depths of my memory as the wind whistled about. The chilly air nipped my ears, and I pulled the hood over my head to keep out the cold as I thought on this. For some reason, I kept seeing a Spartan in white armor in the past couple nights… I didn't know what it meant or why I kept seeing it, but I thought it was rather interesting. In its hands was a lone sniper rifle while a battle rifle, as well as an assault rifle, hung from its back. However, what was greatly mysterious about this Spartan was that it had… wings… Large white wings that stretched across the night sky, bearing its light to all… I was perplexed at this image as I knew no humans had wings, save for the mythological beings they called 'angels,' who were also known as "Soldiers of God." Maybe the Spartan in my dream was just one of these so-called angels… Here to help us destroy the Covenant and save humanity…

I perished this foolish thought and laughed as I slid down the slope of the mountain and into the snow bank below. I had plotted out a mental map and began to make my way towards the lake. For one, if anyone had trouble finding the lake, then Tommy would be able to find the stragglers while I rounded up most of them. For at least an hour, I had ran two miles along the edge of the lake, looking for any evidence of the others, as well as assessing the resources I had within my reach.

The first I met up with was someone named Charlie. He was a very stout boy, and he pretty much intimidated me with his size, but behind the large girth was a very gentle person. I had seen him several times, working out in the weight room during our off training hours, and I could see where most of his strength came from. I smiled as I greeted him.

"Hello, I'm Neala…" I extended my hand out in friendship. "And you are?"

"Name's Charles, but everyone calls me Charlie," he replied, his voice bright and cheery. "Have you found any others?"

"Only my teammate Tommy, but no one else… He went the other way to find the others, but other than that, I am also missing one of my other teammates…"

"Neala…?" a familiar tiny voice squeaked. "Is that you?"

I turned and peeked behind Charlie.

"NEALA!"

Before I could say anything, my face was in the snow. I gagged as Charlie helped me up and shook the snow off. Kitty was on the ground, rolling and giggling, filled with so much happiness now.

"I was so worried about you!" she squealed as I managed to straighten out my jacket and readjusting my pouch. "I didn't know if you were ok or not!"

"I told you we'd find your group leader, and I did, didn't I?" Charlie asked.

The young girl nodded happily and stood next to me.

"So, you're the one they call the 'gentle giant'?" I asked as we trekked back to the cave.

"Yeah, but hey, that doesn't mean I can't fight, you know?" He had a slight Australian accent in his voice. "I mean, c'mon… The Spartan project… This isn't some cutesy sort of thing, you know?"

"So I've heard… Where are the rest of your teammates?"

"Haven't found them yet… They'll probably arrive at the lake soon."

"Hmm… We'll stay here for at least one more hour. After that, we'll head to the cave and see who else Tommy caught on his run."

"Good idea," Kitty purred as she hopped about in the snow, getting stuck occasionally.

"After that, we'll see who else is missing, and then search them out. We aren't going to leave anyone behind."

Charlie agreed with this and looked about the perimeter, only to fall suddenly. I turned, holding out my flare pistol, just in case it was an animal or something. Charlie got back up, looking at what had hit him: a snowball… Kitty was hidden in a snow bank, her blonde hair peeking over the edge as she also looked about.

"Hoy! Charlie!" someone shouted from the woods. "Better duck, unless you want another headshot!"

"Very funny!" the giant yelled back, rolling his own and waiting.

Three others emerged from the forest, all of them boys, all of them armed with snowballs. I had hidden myself with Kitty and rolled a few balls of my own. As soon as the fighting had begun, I leapt out, a ball in each hand, launching them as the boys. Charlie ducked and rolled away, but not before throwing his at the oldest of that group. Two were now on their backs, dazed while Kitty sneaked up from behind the remaining one, and pushed him into the snow face first. Clearly, the three were caught by surprise by their own cockiness.

"Well, well, well… If it isn't the infamous Randy the God and his Armstrong dickheads…" I growled, holding up two more snowballs. "I thought Mendez had you guys on kitchen duty…"

"Yeah, but with training, he thought it was better…" Randy replied, wiping the snow off his pale freckled face. "And what are you, a soldier that you had to attack us?"

"You fired first, so we retaliated," Kitty replied, also holding on to her snowball.

"'Fired?' we only threw a goddamn snowball…" the shorter one, Kurt, snorted. "Besides, it's not like we were going to hurt big brute Charlie…"

"Now that's going too far…" I warned in a low voice. "We are in this mission together, so stop acting so immature and help us find the others…"

"Ooh… Neala is acting all tough because she's scared…" Paul, the redhead of the group, jeered. "Why don't you go back to your mama… Oh yeah, that's right… You have no mama!"

This really pushed my patience.

"I order you to stop this at once… I will not deal with your snide remarks…"

"Now she's running away!" Randy laughed.

That did it, but had it not been for Charlie, I wouldn't flipped out and injured them more than what I did to the one Marine who was in charge of my cell upon my arrival. I turned, just in time to see several others appearing from the forest. I waved to them then looked at Charlie and Kitty.

"You two run the perimeter of the lake and see if there are any others," I commanded, snapping a glow stick active and hanging it from a tree as a beacon, then motioned towards the lake, drawing a circle in the air with my gloved hand. "I'll take these guys back to the cave and come back for you here. I know there are a hundred of us, so we should have a head count of a hundred. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Randy shouted. "When will you shut your trap?"

His little team laughed, but gasped in horror as their leader was on the ground, unconscious. They stepped back as they saw the trickle of blood coming from his nose. I pulled back my fist and licked the small amount of blood, giving them a hard, cold stare.

"ANYMORE questions…?"

"No, ma'am…" they replied in unison.

"Good… Now pick up Randy. We're double-timing back to the cave…"

The boys groaned as they bent down to shoulder their leader.

"What was that…?"

"Nothing!"

I nodded and we went our separate ways. I headed south, back to the cave with the impudence I called 'teammates' while picking up others here and there, amongst them Pei, Connie, Vasquez, and Rath, four others who were also leaders of their little groups of three. Tommy was waiting with ten others, all of them huddled in a corner to stay warm. Randy and his gang walked to their own little corner while the others I had found scattered themselves to check on them.

"Well, that makes thirty-three so far… Over one Pelican load…"

The two of us looked at each person. I, for one, was just grateful that we had found so many within the first three hours.

"What happened to 'Mr. God' there?" he snickered, pointing at the bloodied face of Randy. "It looks like Mendez beat the snot out of him!"

"Oh, it was worse…" I replied with a glint in my eye. "It was worse…"

He bared his teeth into another insane grin.

"Ooh… I like crazy girls, you know that…?"

"Sure you do… Anyway, how are you feeling for another go?"

"I'm more than ready!" he shouted, only to stop as his stomach growled a little. "Well, maybe after a little snack…"

I laughed and nodded towards Pei, who was talking with Rath as they were comparing map pieces.

"I'm putting you in charge for now, ok, Pei?"

"Will do!" she replied, giving a salute.

I knew I could rely on her and disappeared after being waved off by a ravenous Tommy, heading back to the rendezvous point I had set up earlier.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kitty was on Charlie's shoulders as they were now in deep snow on the southern side of the lake, opposite of where the cave was located. Being as small as she was, she was easily hidden and, more often than so, getting lost if she didn't stay close.

"I want to thank you for helping me back there," she squeaked, catching a snowflake with her tongue.

"Hey, it's not like a pair of hungry foxes were a challenge for me…" he laughed. "Besides, all you had to do was throw a bit of your rations and jump when they turned."

"But that means living off less food each day!"

"It's a small price rather than to become food for the others…"

Kitty looked down and smiled.

"That's true… That's true…"

As they climbed up a hill, they could see some movement below. Charlie took off into a sprint and, taking a large piece of bark from a fallen tree, turned it into a makeshift sled to slide down the side. As they neared the group, they could see a small pack of wolves.

"Oh no! Charlie!" she shrieked. "Look! Wolves!"

Indeed, a small pack of five wolves were chasing down a small group of their own. Arming his flare, as well as Kitty's, he jumped off the board.

"HANG ON TIGHT!" he shouted, Kitty holding very tightly to the forehead of her friend.

As soon as he got close enough, he fired it towards the ground, causing a bright red flash to illuminate the area. The wolves cringed and retreated, thinking that their newfound meal was not worth having to get past an armed person. Kitty and Charlie rolled for several meters before coming to a complete halt. The kids stopped and retraced their steps. The bodies didn't move until Charlie murmured and stirred.

"Ow…" he groaned. "That hurt more than what Minerva showed in the video…"

"Yeah, only because you weren't in armor…" one pointed out. "But that was one awesome trick you pulled!"

The 'brute' nodded and turned to Kitty, who was giggling in the snow.

"Whee!" she squealed, rolling on to her back and making a snow angel. "Let's do that again!"

The others laughed as she got up and shook off all the loose snow from the hood of her parka.

"No, let's not…" Charlie laughed as he got up, a little shaken, but fine. "We better continue on. You guys know where the others might be?"

He tried to walk, but had a slight limp. Upon landing, he had landed on his ankle incorrectly, spraining it.

"No, we were the last to be dropped off from our Pelican," another replied. "Don't know where the others are."

"Ok then, we'll take you back to where Neala and the others are. She'll guide you back to the cave while we find the others."

"Hey, Charles?"

"Yeah?"

A pistol was thrown at the foot of the boy, who picked it up.

"Where did you get this?" he inquired, pulling out the magazine to find out that it was loaded with real metal bullets, or 'live rounds,' as the Chief called them.

"We found it near a boulder," one answered. "It's still loaded, but we can't really shoot. We thought it would be better if you held it."

"Thanks, guys… C'mon… We better head to the extraction point Neala set up for you guys…"

* * *

**Time: **1500 hours

**Date: **March 12, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,000 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

Between the times I had arrived at my point and when Charlie and Kitty returned, Tommy had managed to find twenty others while ten more managed to wander in. The two returned with eight others, which meant there were twenty-five, a full Pelican load, more to go. I led these guys back, looking over the whole pack. Everyone was getting restless, but those I had put in charge, Pei, Carl, Isis, and Harper, were doing ok in my stead. It seems that everyone was just waiting until we found the others.

A total of eight hours had passed and I did one final headcount. Something was wrong as I spoke with the leaders I had appointed.

"We are short five people…" I murmured, very concerned as the storm was quickly approaching. "Are you sure you checked everywhere?"

"Yes," Charlie and Kitty reported. "We checked every possible site at least twice. We even sent extra search and rescue teams, but all of them are returning empty-handed."

"This is not good…" I paced back and forth and looked out into the land. "Are you positive that you even checked every LZ?"

"Yes, according to the map given us we had pieced together, we marked on it where everyone was dropped," Isis replied. "All the S&R teams have checked these areas and more, but there isn't so much as a footprint in the snow. The wind keeps blowing over them."

I paced nervously. Were they on another Pelican, or were they also on the ship I was on? Either way, it was a matter of time I was now racing against, time I know I didn't have if I didn't act now. There were my people, my teammates who were still lost out there in the snow. I had to get them back; I just had to! They saw that I had made up my mind when I stood up.

"I'm going after them…"

"What?" Carl exclaimed. "Stop being a heroine and let us come with you."

"No, a leader must take responsibility for everyone, and as such, I am ordering you to stay here with the others until I return with the last five."

"That because she's a wuss and wants to die with them!" came Randy's voice from the other side. "Let the 'fearless' leader leave and see to her own doom! I would make a better leader than her!"

I stood up, greatly angered with what he had said and walked over.

"Randy, when we get back to camp, I will report this to Mendez!"

"C'mon, tough girl!" he shouted, getting up. "Bring it on!"

Everyone began to stand up and gather around the two of us, shouting insults at Randy. However, I knew this was very unprofessional and held up my hand to silence them. The boy only scoffed as he watched them listen to a simple hand signal that was nothing more but a mere fist to him.

"Why must you be like this!" I demanded.

"Because you're a girl and girls are not leaders! Neither you nor Pei should be telling what we guys should be doing!"

"You have some nerve to say that to team leader Neala!" Kitty yelled. "She saved your life!"

"Yeah, right!" he barked back. "I would've been able to fend for myself if it weren't for a weasel like you to pounce on me like that!"

I stood in front of Kitty, who had been hurt by such words of distain, and defended her.

"For your information, she thought you were a threat to Charlie earlier and did what was based on her instinct as well as what we learned, which is to neutralize any threat before engaging. Even you know that lesson from CPO Mendez's teachings. And, if your buddies had not listened to me, you would've been dead in the snow hours ago!"

"I am better off on my own…"

I watched Randy walk off, but Kurt stopped him and hissed something into his ear.

"Hmm… All right then…" the freckled, pale boy coolly replied as he turned around. "I'll listen to your orders for now, but once we return, you better stay the hell away from me or else I'll report to Mendez that you're barking orders like you were his rank, imposing as an officer when you are not…"

Everyone backed off as I clenched my fist, only to slam it into his nose again, sending him into unconsciousness again. Tommy howled happily and grinned.

"To you as well…"

I turned to the others and collected a few extra flares, as well as packing extra rations.

"I will launch a flare every two hours so you know I am ok…" she explained, checking her supplies. "If for some reason you do not see a flare, DO NOT send out a rescue team, but head to the extraction point as soon as possible. I'll take one of these maps with me so I don't get lost. Kitty, plot the fastest possible route on one of the other maps you pieced together. We've already lost a day to finding everyone, and only have two more days before we are out of time. If the trek is longer than we think, then we will need all the time we can get with all possible shortcuts that will not endanger everyone."

"I'm on it!"

I looked at Tommy then the others.

"Good luck, team leader…" Charlie bade as I stepped into the darkness, but not before giving me the pistol he had.

"Thanks…" I murmured, turning on the safety and stuffing it into my pocket. "I'll need it… I'm leaving it up to you guys now!"

Without another word from them, I disappeared into the dark of night, enshrouded by the whirling flakes as my cloak.

* * *

Lying on a nearby cliff was a Spartan in one of the new arctic camouflage suits. As white as snow was, it also had splotches of grays to blend in with the surrounding environment, as well as help move about stealthily. He held up the sniper scope and peered through it.

"Chief Mendez, come in, chief… This is Spartan-003. Do you read me, over?"

"Spartan-003, this is Chief Mendez," a deep voice replied. "I hear you loud and clear, Kale, over… Report?"

"Sir, seems that the girl you wanted me to keep a tab on is heading out again, that is, after punching one of the other subjects."

Mendez chuckled as he looked at images of all the 'students' from various years as they appeared on another monitor, from their arrival on Reach-II to their current time. His eyes fell on the pale freckled face of Randy, a private picked up from the agricultural fields of Tarsus VII, before another screen displayed Neala's information. Several more pictures were pulled up on a third screen, most of them with Neala and Randy getting into fistfights, both of them being bloodied by the other. These were thoroughly recorded by the armed staff and studied as it proved to be quite informative about how each child functioned when among others.

"Let me guess… It's that cocky Randy, isn't it?"

Kale was rather surprised at the conclusion.

"Yes, it is, sir. How did you know?"

"Neala never really did get along with Randy and his group of goons," he explained, inhaling the last smoke of his cigar before putting it out. "They are just as disrespectful and rude as they come… Hell, they remind me of the ODSTs…"

The chief petty officer looked at the large holographic map and activated the tracing beacons on each of the watches. A set of tiny light appeared, two blue ones and a hundred blinking yellow ones. There was a whole mass of them at one point while one was running along the plains and the final five were together in a region much father than what he had planned. Kale sat up and stretched his rather stiff back and stood up to bounce around a bit to get the blood running through his sore legs as he waited for his commanding officer to reply.

"This is odd…" he murmured, tracing a finger on all the LZ points.

"What is it, sir?"

"There are five other trainees that are way off from where we dropped them at…" he replied under his breath, turning on all the beacons and watching as the green lights flickered on the transparent map panel with the others lights. "They've wandered at least five kilometers from the farthest LZ…"

"I don't know what happened, sir. Perhaps a misguided Pelican?"

"Either that, or the children have no sense of direction…"

"Are they the ones that were in the subject's Pelican?"

"Yeah, but they should've gotten the message…"

"Message? What message?"

"While on the Pelican, I was watching her closely…" Mendez replied as he lit one of his Sweet Williams cigars and took a deep puff before continuing. "Her eyes darted across the lake, and while I told Kitty to pass out the map fragments, she made very subtle hints to Kitty, referring to the lake below. No doubt that it meant for all of them to meet them there, much like 117 using his eyes to point out a rendezvous point below to gather at once everyone had landed."

"Is that where everyone gathered?"

"No, it seems like she sent two others out, Charlie and Kitty, to find the others that were scattered farther away, as well as Tommy in the other direction to find those other troopers. Several did appear near the lake when Charlie and Kitty returned with the others, so she was also gathering them while leading them to a safer area."

The Spartan took off his helmet to let the cold air nip him a bit to keep him awake then replaced it as he turned on his mini hologram map to keep track of everything. He was seeing the exact same thing as Mendez.

"Sure seems like she has control of things," he commented, noticing that the ninety-five in the cave were doing various tasks assigned to them, like gathering firewood from nearby sources or help mending those who had been injured on their way over.

It was like a mini army camp run by kids for kids, but Kale knew better. This was training for the future fighters of humanity's survival.

"Yes…" Mendez replied. "Indeed, she does… Now, where's Kelly?"

"She's following 468 right now in the new white camouflage we gave her, riding on the snowmobile we provided her with, sir."

"Good…"

Kale brought down his binoculars and followed Neala's tracks back to the cave, hiding out in the snow-laden branches of a tall Douglas fir, using his sniper scope to get a better view of what was going on. He turned on the camouflage and turned off his speakers, only to continue the private conversation as he watched the kids, some standing guard with their flare pistols while others were re-preparing the ration packs to accommodate those who had to eat theirs or used them in some way.

"Sir, are you sure it was a good idea to send Kelly to keep track of her? I mean, ever since she was separated from the Chief and the others, she hasn't been herself… She'll probably kill the kid out of anger…"

"No, Kelly wouldn't do such a thing… She wouldn't kill a Spartan-to-be as she would readily kill a Covenant trooper. She is just the same as Neala… Temperamental, but able to control it to a certain amount of time."

"How can you be so sure?" the Spartan asked. "I mean, permission to speak, sir…"

"Go on, Kale… You know that I am willing to listen."

"Sir, with all due respect, this Neala that we have chosen seems very…"

"Unstable?"

"Yes, sir…"

"Well, all are considered unstable until they are ready… Until then, that is why these exercises are being done… I don't go throwing children into the cold without a reason, Kale. You know that very well as you went through the same treatment, no?"

"I didn't mean to offend you, sir."

"No offence taken, but do keep in mind that everything I do is meant to teach them a lesson, not to just see them suffer for no reason. Some things are just meant to be learned the hard way while others are not. I can't just soften the blow of the lesson because I am afraid it will hurt them. To hurt them means they will learn… It's all part of the discipline. I am sure you remember the CTF game I had Spartan-117's group go on against the Tango Company back on Reach?"

"Yes, I remember that incident all too well. By the tenth round, the Tango Company was using live rounds, as well as their Scorpion, to get their flag back while the young Spartans were only armed with tranquilizer pistols and stun rounds."

"Yet our Spartans, as young as they were, were underestimated, leading to Tango Company's eventual defeat again. But, not only that, it allowed for 117 to fully refine his team, as well as learn how to use instead of waste resources at hand."

"Hmm… So it is best if we don't underestimate Neala?"

"Yes, best that we do not. She knows what she is doing. All she needs is a little guidance here and there. After all, her father, Satoshi, was one of the greatest tacticians as well as marksman, and now, if you've been keeping up with the news lately, he's the same rank as 117."

"Indeed, I knew that before I was assigned to retrieve her, sir."

"And a good thing you did… She could very well be the next Master Chief."

The chief officer leaned back in his chair and stared at the screen. The five isolated dots continued to move north, opposite of the pickup site. This greatly concerned Mendez, and he quickly barked out an order for a Pelican to make sure the kids didn't go off the cliff that was waiting for them. The storm was to hit soon, and with the treacherous terrain, it would only lead to more deaths, deaths that were unwanted, but also somewhat necessary. How he hated to waste lives than to use them…


	9. Chapter 8

_**The Body Dies, but the Spirit Lives**_

**Time: **1300 hours

**Date: **March 13, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **In orbit onboard the UNSC ship _Forbidden Evolution_, planet Ejomeg Secundus, Jeroma System

"…I'm sorry, Master Chief Satoshi…"

"No, it was not your fault, Sergeant Jenny. You were overwhelmed and lost sight of the goal, that is all…"

"But I lost a Spartan, sir… Not a local officer… Not a Marine… Not an ODST… But a Spartan… One of my own!"

Satoshi had managed to find Spartan-185, Sergeant Jenny Luanda, on the top deck of _Forbidden Evolution_. She was still mourning the loss of one of her teammates during the assault on Ejomeg Secundus, even though she was not one to show her emotions in times as great as these.

"It was my fault…" the Spartan murmured, her gloved fist slamming into the titanium-A wall, leaving a fair-sized dent. "If it were not for my judgment, then Kevin would still be alive!"

"Jenny, listen to me… None of this is your fault, ok? Blame it on the Covenant that we have to be here… Blame it on them that they are taking lives by the billons, for something that is of their own selfish desires, for their 'Great Journey' that is only meant to doom all sentient life… You did what you could; his life was not wasted. We fought, and we won, only to continue to fight until all is done."

There was silence for quite some time as the sergeant looked out at the stars. The cleanup team had done wonders to clear out the debris, most of it taken down back to Ejomeg Secundus to see if anything could be salvaged, and if not, melted down to create new ships or to study the technology of the Covenant force. They could see the constellation Orion to the right, his arm held high with a weapon, ready to kill the lion that was gripped in the other.

"But for how long will we actually call this victory ours?"

Her voice had a hint of fatigue that the chief knew she was trying to mask with her hardened tone.

"Jenny, we will continue to fight, but for humans to survive, there is a heavy sacrifice… Every armed forces personnel knows that… The Marines know that… The ODSTs know that… All the Spartans know that… I know this… You know this… Even Kevin knew… We are all risking our lives for the future, as well as for those we love…"

There was another moment of silence.

"Yes, I know sacrifices must be made…" she whispered. "Satoshi, you have a child, yes?"

The chief looked up in shock, only to turn away slightly, running his hand through his hair nervously. It had been a long while since he had talked about his family, let alone, his dead daughter. He coughed a little before regaining his composure.

"_Had_…" he finally replied, his voice slightly choked. "_Had_… She died about eight years ago, during the time I had been called back for duty… Shot and killed by a group of local bandits while my wife was sick. I returned home from the field to attend the execution of the living bandit and her funeral… That was the last I ever saw her or my wife…"

"Oh… I am sorry to hear that, sir… I didn't-"

Satoshi held up his hand to stop her and turned around, taking his time to draw a deep breath before exhaling.

"It is quite all right, Jenny… It is quite all right…"

"You lost a part of yourself when that happened, didn't you?"

"Of course… What respectable father wouldn't, especially with an only child such as her? She was the one I deeply treasured with my wife…"

"It is the same thing with Kevin… Kevin was… was… my son…"

Satoshi looked at her with disbelief.

"You allowed the UNSC… Catherine Halsey, of all people, to have your son for the project?"

"I didn't have a choice… No one else has better knowledge of the project than Halsey. It was my son's choice to want to become a Spartan, to help me in the battle for humanity's survival."

The chief sighed quietly and closed his eyes. He clenched his fist and growled lowly. He knew that if Neala were still alive and she had the chance, she would have done the same thing. Families fighting for their families… Friends for their friends… All for their loved ones…

"Jenny… You know the UNSC will refuse to put any Spartan as KIA… They will only put them as MIA… To hide the truth from everyone…"

"I know, but… why…"

Satoshi paced quietly on deck. He knew the truth, and the truth he told.

"Jenny, it's all a part of the UNSC to make everyone think that we are immortal, but we aren't… We've all lost comrades here and there to the Covenant, whether on accident or whatever, but there is one thing that we must keep in mind…"

Jenny seemed to have softened the mourning over her dead son and stood there, looking at Satoshi.

"Yes…?"

"They are still with us, even though we do not see them…"

"What do you mean?"

"Even though we no longer see them, we always feel the presence of our loved ones near, as though they are watching or are with us during the battles."

"Now that you've mentioned it, even though he was gunned down like that, I felt as though he was still there, fighting alongside us."

Satoshi smiled.

"See? Even though they are no longer with us physically, they are still with us in one form or another, mostly in thought but there regardless."

"But… Kevin…"

"I know, but it is just like my little Neala… She is dead, but I feel her presence when a fight happens, watching her dad take on the Covenant for the better and future of mankind…"

Jenny turned and embraced her commanding officer, something that was a little awkward, but Satoshi knew that she needed it. She was a mother who had just lost her son, a son who became what he wanted to be, just to help out someone he loved. Everyone needed someone to hold, even Satoshi. This war was a terrible one, one that caused the deaths of billions of innocent as well as millions of armed personnel, all gunned down in the line of duty or injured so much that they are tagged WIA. Jenny trembled and sobbed into his suit, her warm tears falling on to the cold armor that was considered his second skin. He looked into the shadows, a private standing there with news, but seeing that the chief was busy, he hurriedly disappeared. No one needed to be disturbed, especially now.

The two went down to the main deck, where the other Spartans had gathered around the remains of Spartan-284, Private Kevin Luanda. His body had been taken out of the suit and cremated. Admiral Dwight Whitten presented the urn of ashes to the mother, who took it into her gloved hands. She looked at Satoshi and the others, her eyes brimming with tears…

Tears of sadness that her son was dead…

Tears of joy that he would no longer have to endure the pain of a Spartan…

Tears of regret that she had let him become a war machine, only to die…

Tears of pain and anger against the Covenant for taking away the one she cherished…

Taking this time as R&R for his Spartans, Satoshi had asked the Admiral if it was ok if they went down to Ejomeg Secundus to bury the remains, as that was where both Jenny and Kevin were born and raised. Seeing this as an act of kindness to return the burned body to the place where he was born, as well as an act out of respect to give a proper burial, the admiral gathered the Pelicans to carry the Spartans while he, the higher ups, Satoshi, and Jenny with her urn took the Longsword back down to Ejomeg Secundus to a quiet little valley.

Satoshi set foot in this quaint place and swept around before giving the ok for everyone else to come out. Two Spartans from one of the Pelicans came out with a shovel and motioned for Jenny to tell them where to dig the grave while two more stepped out with Kevin's suit. Jenny motioned for the two with shovels to just leave them, and for an hour, they traveled deep into the forest until they came to a little shrine. Everyone was quiet as they entered the place, as though a holy presence was amongst them.

"This is one of many ancestral grounds that we have protected today in our battle against the Covenant…" Jenny whispered, her voice hallowed as she placed the urn on a shelf lined with other urns inside the sacred place.

The others gathered around her, paying their deepest respects to the dead amongst them, as well as to their fallen Spartan brother. The admiral stepped forward and took off his cap to honor those who had died.

"Today, another had joined in their journey to the afterlife. Although Kevin was only 22 when he died, I now know he did not die because of a choice I had made… He was a smart and talented boy, able to fend for himself at such a young age. When he found out what I was, he asked to help. I refused, but the determination was so great that I reluctantly agreed for him to become what I had become. He fought for the freedom of humans, for the survival of his own race. His life was not wasted, and I will continue where he left off…"

"Amen to that…" Admiral Whitten whispered. "Amen to that…"

The chief motioned for everyone to leave while the two with the suit, Andes and Tanoak, came in and stood it up on a stand. As soon as they left, he turned to Jenny.

"Take as much time as you need…" he gestured from the doorway. "We won't leave until you're ready…"

"Thank you, chief…" was all she could say in her tear-choked voice.

He closed the wooden panels behind and let out a heavy sigh before rejoining his teams in the courtyard.

"How is she?" Kyle asked as he sat down to relieve the tension on his mended right Achilles' tendon.

"A hard blow…" the chief replied, shaking his head. "A hard blow… Spartan-284 was her son…"

"I say we get one of our Fury tac-nukes and blow their home world…" Tanoak growled as he crushed a dead leaf with his right boot. "This has gone far enough…"

Randall whistled at the name of the bomb. He had heard of these close-to-nuke weapons before. They were oddly shaped, some what might describe them as the size and shape of over-inflated footballs. Its yield was just under a megaton, but the way it burned was quite clean compared to the ancient atomic bombs and nuclear warheads that were created in the past. The only drawback was that such weapons emitted a large amount of EMP, scrambling any circuitry within several hundred kilometers. The Spartans had never used these, as they were always too close no matter how far they retreated, or there was important weaponry that would be deterred useless if the pulse destroyed the hardware and messed with the software, but it would leave a good bruise on the Covenant fleet if they were able to use it somehow.

"That's if you know where it is located," William, Spartan-310, replied. "Not even ONI knows where it's located."

"Well, tell the brass that once they know, Team Rising Sun will be ready to deliver the package!" he roared, only to be stared at by the other Spartans.

"Calm yourself…" Satoshi hissed, staring at the others as they turned away and talked amongst themselves. "We are in no position to do anything rash until we can find more information. Once we find the final Halo, we can track down the remaining and follow them back to their world somehow, ok? For now, we can't just blindly charge in, you understand?"

Tanoak stepped back and cowered slightly.

"Yes, sir…"

Satoshi could feel the tension growing in his men. They were nervous of the war to come. More people would die, if not, more Spartans. The death of 284 was just one of many sacrifices that were made. He saw the whole list of Spartans that had died, hundreds of them, all marked MIA's when they are really KIA's. The chief walked over towards Whitten, only to hear some more developing news.

"Chief, we'll need to dust off soon…" the admiral explained in a low voice as he nodded to a few to get ready. "It seems that there's another planet under attack…"

"But I told Jenny-"

"I am here, sir…" came a solemn voice from behind. "And I am ready to take it to them…"

Satoshi turned around and looked at his sergeant. Something changed her while she was in there, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He walked over and looked her over carefully.

"Jenny, are you sure?"

The sergeant looked up at the chief and admiral, the hunter green helmet nested in her right arm glistening in the moonlight of an Ejomegian night. Her eyes seemed dull when they had first arrived, as though a fire had died, but now, her sea green eyes were in flames, flames that could not be quenched by anything but the blood of the Covenant responsible for the deaths of many, especially those of the Prophets.

"Yes… I cannot leave what my son has left unfinished. One way or another, what he started will be completed, if not by me, then by another."

"I understand…"

The chief turned to everyone as they gathered around.

"Ok, guys… Looks like we're needed elsewhere now," Satoshi reported. "The ten Spartans stationed on this planet will be able to handle themselves now that the MAC guns have been restored and under our control again. We're moving out now. Anymore time being spent dawdling only means more time for the Covenant to win the race in finding their last so-called holy relic. Let's double-time back to the LZ and head off to the UNSC base for an ammunition run. I want all men to check their equipment before we dust off this planet for good, got it?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" everyone replied in one voice.

"Chief, I'll need you to get on the Longsword with me," Whitten commanded. "I will brief you on what is going on, and see how you will tackle this situation. With forty Spartans, you have too many. You will need to pick your best wisely and clear this mission before I can send in the others."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Walk with me, and I will continue the briefing once we head off to Ovid IX."

"Ovid IX? The giant ice planet?"

"Yes… The giant ice planet…"

"Let me guess, the Covenant have found it as a resource base?"

"So to say…"

"Hmm… Tanoak!"

A Spartan came jogging over and saluted.

"Yes, sir?"

"When we arrive at the Armory, grab two Fury tac-nukes… We are giving them hell once we arrive…"

"Yes, sir!"

Tanoak whooped as he ran towards the waiting Pelicans and was the first to take off while the others followed suit, escorting the black Longsword into the city. Yes, they would now bring hell to the Covenant again, just as they had done on the stations.

Within hours, all the teams had returned with their new weapons, including full loads of Jackhammer and Anaconda surface-to-air missiles, as well as full crates of ammunitions for their various rifles and guns, and grenades enough to knock a thirty-story building flat on its back. Tanoak had carefully brought in a rather large crate and set it in the Armory. Randall, who was putting away the grenades and extra ammunitions for the battle rifles, could only stare at him for a few minutes.

"Uh… How many of those Fury tac-nukes do you have there…?" he laughed nervously.

"Oh… At least enough to make the fireworks display last for a good month…" the first Spartan laughed, opening the crate to reveal two pallets of four securely placed bombs.

"Does Satoshi know that you have that many on board?"

"He never said now many…"

Randall scratched his head, poking the box with the tip his sniper rifle.

"Eight does sound a bit overboard, doesn't it? That's not like him to not say how many he wanted…"

"Ok, so he said to only bring two, but I don't think that's enough… I mean, have you seen the bombs the Covenant has? Those things have over three megatons of power! Don't you remember the destruction of Avalon XIX?"

"I remember…" the second replied, closing his eyes and shaking he head as he remembered the number of deaths had been accounted for when they had arrived. "But, just don't come running to me when he finds out, ok? Not my fault if he yells at you for it."

"Better safe than sorry…"

Randall only nodded and quickly went back for the remaining crates. New Warthogs, Scorpions, and several Wolverines, one-person, ATV versions of the Warthog, had been transported to the vessel, stored in the main vehicle hangar of the _Forbidden Evolution_.

Soon, the ship was charging its jump systems and disappeared in a bright flash.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I know that the ATV is called a Mongoose, but for the sake of my imagination, as well as since I though Mongoose sounded a little too small, I had nicknamed them to the Wolverine. Besides, Wolverine has a better ring to it..._


	10. Chapter 9

_**Snow Dogs and Iced Pigs**_

**Time: **1930 hours

**Date: **March 12, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,050 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

The storm swept in without warning, and I was forced to find shelter in the sanctuary of fallen trees. I set up a temporary camp here and built a small fire to warm the place up a bit. I looked at my watch, and it read 1930 hours. Time was ticking, and I needed to find those last five. Taking one of the maps Kitty had provided from piecing together and finding duplicates, I spread it out and marked where I was. I had run along the edge of the forest for the past four hours, and had marked so on the map. I remember that I had crossed a frozen creek, which put me really close to the edge of the map, about fifty kilometers from the cave. I scratched my head and looked out, only to fire my second flare. At least they would know I was ok, and if the remaining five saw it, they would at least know someone was looking for them.

After eating a handful of the rations, as well as taking a sip of water, I fed the fire and crept out, staying low to the ground as I took a burning torch and used it as a way of marking a black path in the white snow. I continued for another estimated five hundred meters when I noticed a tiny glow bouncing off the trees. At first I thought it was an illusion, but as I got close, I noticed that it was several glow sticks tied together, being battered and whipped by the fierce wind. This only meant one thing.

"HELLO!" I shouted, hoping that my voice would be carried by the wind to the missing ones. "IS ANYONE THERE?"

I strained my ear and crept closer, using the logs as walls to keep the wind from sinking its icy teeth into my face. I managed to climb a snow bank and looked down, only to see five dark shapes lying in the snow.

"No!"

I tumbled down and picked them up, feeling for their pulse on their wrist and neck. It was very faint, but it was there. I had to get them out of here quickly. Making steps run up against the bank I came down on, the only problem was that I had nothing to grab on to and always slid back down, causing bruises to cover my arms and legs while scratches marked my face. I took fallen branches and broke them in such a way that it created spear-like tips, which I dug into the wall to create a makeshift ladder. Harnessing one body over my shoulder and making sure the branches could support the weight, I slowly made my way up, almost slipping on several occasions, as the storm grew worse. I placed the body ten meters away from the edge, sheltered in a hollowed out tree trunk, and jumped back down to retrieve the remaining four. Again, I hid them in places where the wind wouldn't get them while I checked the surrounding area for anything I missed. Then I saw how close to death they were. Had they moved north another fifty meters, then they all would've fallen off the cliff and died.

A chill colder than the storm itself ran up my spine as I climbed out. I looked at the stiff bodies and grabbed the last one, making my first of run of five. When I came back for the second one, I noticed that someone had been here while I was gone as the bodies had been shifted slightly, and there were deep prints in the snow. I ran my hand into these crevices, only to find they were not of the other kids or animals. They looked like adult-sized combat boots, but they had a strange edging around it. I pulled out my pistol and circled the area for a bit before grabbing the second and taking off. The ice stung my lungs as the wind whipped again, causing me to lose my footing. My flare pistol had slipped out from my other pocket and fell over the edge before I could grab them. Great. Now no one knew if I was alive or not. Either way, if that was the case, I would have to be the one to lead these five on my own while the others led the ninety-four to the extraction point.

Again, I went back for the third, and again, I had a feeling that someone was stalking me. I didn't like the feeling, but someone was watching my every move: how I worked, how I controlled the situation, how I was resourceful. I took the third body, but this time, backpedaled with my pistol in the open so that I was at least armed and ready to fire. I may have never fired a weapon with live rounds before, but what difference was it between rubber and live bullets? They both came out the same way; just that one could kill at any range while the other only killed at point blank.

By the time I had gotten all five of them into my wooden bunker, I was extremely exhausted from fighting against the ice and wind. Never had I worked so hard before, not even in the obstacle challenges or sparring sessions. I had taken off their wet clothes and laid them out to dry while stroking the fire to a larger blaze. I needed to stay awake and make sure that they were ok, but fatigue had overcome me, and I collapsed into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Time: **2250 hours 

**Date: **March 12, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,000 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

Back at the cave, Anthony came down from the mouth of the cave after two hours of sitting there, ready to report in. As he stepped into the cavern, he saw that Tommy was chasing Kitty around again while Charlie, Pei, Carl, Isis, and Harper were assembling the groups. Harper had pointed out that having ninety-five kids traveling together was a big risk, especially when it came to the tricks that Mendez always had up his sleeve, like sabotaging some of their weaponry so that it would jam up more than often during practice times. With a big training mission like this, there would no doubt be some sort of opposition that wouldn't make this easy. Carl had thought that perhaps Mendez had ordered the local Marine base, the Husky Company, to assist him with this polar mission as the Husky Company were known for their arctic challenges. Anthony stepped up and gave his report.

"It's been two hours, but no flare has gone up…"

Kitty stopped and whined a little.

"Are you sure?" Isis asked. "She said she would shoot every two hours, unless…"

A hushed silence befell them as they thought of all the possibilities that could've happened, from being frozen to death to the fact that the Husky Company were indeed in on this and had captured her, along with the five. This worried them greatly, and without Neala, they didn't know how to approach this. They counted on her for leadership, but Charlie stood up.

"Neala is counting on us," he said in a stern voice. "She wouldn't choose us to be the leaders when she is not here if she didn't have a reason to, but she did because she saw that we are capable of doing so."

"He's right," Isis chimed in. "Neala may be a leader, but because she is not here, she has chosen us to make sure that we carry on our duties and get everyone back to base safely."

Kitty bucked Tommy in the face for giving her a scare and sat next to Charlie to show them the map that she had pieced together, as well as all possible routes. The only problem was that all of them walked straight into the forest, where they knew Mendez would have something waiting for them. They needed to break into smaller groups.

"Pei, take your team, and assemble nine other teams of three that are considered to be the fastest," Carl pointed out. "You will need to be our scouts and make sure that the path is clear before anyone else engages. Charlie, Harper, Isis, Tobias, Kayla, and I will be splitting the remaining sixty-four amongst us. Charlie, you take your team and Neala's with you. Harper, you will take yours and another. Same thing with you three. I'll pick up any of the stragglers. We'll be moving out within an hour, so make sure that everything is good to go, ok? Report back in fifteen."

"Yes, sir."

The seven scattered, dividing the group into teams and preparing for the worst to come.

* * *

**Time: **0113 hours 

**Date: **March 13, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,050 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"_Neala, sweetie? Wake up…"_

"_Who… Mommy…?"_

"_Yes, now wake up and get ready for school."_

"_Wait… This isn't right… How… No… This isn't my home… You are not my mother…"_

"_Don't be silly, honey. Now get dressed."_

"_I do not belong on this planet, but on Reach-II…"_

"_Enough playing around, and please do get ready. We're going to see your dad at work today."_

"_But my dad is dead… And so are you… No, get away from me… Get away from me!"_

I woke up, covered in cold sweat. I quickly looked around and stared outside. It was dark, and the storm had subsided a bit, but I didn't know for how long. I turned to look at the bodies, which were now living teenagers who were just waking up and moving around a bit. They were quite surprised to find themselves in a small bunker with a fire. I looked at my watch. I had been out for at least six hours, enough rest, but was there enough time for me to make it back to the cave? No, I gave them orders that if I did not send any more flares into the air, they were to head to the extraction point without me. Knowing Pei and Carl, they would listen and follow through with the command. As for Charlie, he seemed like the type who knew what he was doing. Kitty and Tommy would aid him the best they could.

I took off my jacket to wipe off the sweat and popped in another handful or two of rations before taking a drink and checking the others. It seemed that they had taken a few battered bruises here and there, but other than the one with a broken leg, we would have to somehow make time to makeup for those that we lost. I splinted the broken leg with straight branches and strips of bandana that one of the others had graciously let me borrow as I had used up the roll of gauze to patch another, who had managed to get a large gash on his forehead from falling headfirst over the snow bank. They put on the now-dry clothes and ate parts of their rations while I went out to scout around, only to come back when I found that everything was clear. In the light of Harsco, Reach-II's moon, we proceeded at a slow, but steady pace, the two able ones in the back while the other two was supporting the one with a broken leg. I had the lead, but I turned around every so often with my pistol in hand, afraid that something would attack from behind.

We had journeyed for three hours straight when we sat down to rest. While doing so, Antoine and Max, the two able-bodied ones, set up a small camp while I stood guard. I was still edgy and flinched at every movement my eyes could detect that did not belong to any of the five. We needed a faster way to get around, but without the necessary tools and supplies, it was a little hard for us to fashion a sled for our wounded. I dug through the pouch and found a ball of twine. Tugging it a few times, I found that it was very strong despite its diameter, and called Tyler to help me pull off a large piece of bark. Within a few minutes, we had a makeshift sled for Leon. Not wanting to lose any more time, the five of us each tied the cord around our waist and ran, dragging the board behind us.

We ran for a good five kilometers when I slowed down and looked around, checking my map to estimate our location.

"Neala, something wrong?" Max grunted as he caught his breath.

"No, we're heading in the right direction, but there's a weird feeling I'm getting…"

"What do you mean? I don't feel anything…"

"Exactly… Doesn't this seem too easy to be one of Mendez's usual missions?"

"I say it's your paranoia that's getting the best of you," Antoine laughed. "Now, c'mon before they leave without us."

I just had a bad feeling of what was to go on if we were not careful. This just seemed way too easy to just find our way back without having a good challenge…

* * *

**Time: **0500 hours 

**Date: **March 13, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,050 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"THERE'S ANOTHER! DUCK AND FIRE!"

Snowballs with stones flew and stuck the targets hard as the Husky Company was being overwhelmed by two groups of teens. They had fallen for the bait and were retreating as Charlie and Tommy picked up the rifles loaded with stun shots and Kitty picked up the pistols and flash grenades. So far so good. Charlie had led his team with such power that they had surprised the Huskies and was now securing a zone for the others to gather at before continuing on. Harper was scanning the perimeter while the others bunked into the trees. The other teams, especially the one Randy was on, did not fare so well and ended up with at least three wounded. Isis stared hard at the boy.

"And just what in the name of the Greek gods did you think you were doing!" she shouted as they made their way towards where Charlie was. "You almost had us killed!"

"I did not!" the freckled boy whined. "Besides, you weren't doing anything except sitting there!"

"Only because I was waiting for them to take the bait!" she retorted. "Tim was the rabbit and we were waiting for him to draw fire, but no… You had to go and mess it up, Mr. Bigshot!"

"At least we're out of there, ok? If I hadn't gotten him square in the eyes, you would've died!"

"For the last time, it was Eric who got that hit on his back, not you!"

"At least we got out alive…"

"No thanks to you…" she growled. "All right, men! Let's quickly move! We can't afford any more lost time!"

Isis' team emerged from the woods and met up with Charlie's while the last of her team appeared with the suppression weapons: more rifles and stun grenades.

"Any sign of the other teams?" Neala's temporary team leader asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah," she panted as they ran and perched themselves in the trees for cover. "Tobias and Harper were only a few hundred meters from my position. We were ambushed by the Huskies a few minutes ago because SOMEONE had decided to ruin the plan Tim and I had…"

"For the last time, you weren't doing anything!" Randy hissed.

"Silence, private!" Charlie barked. "In the chain of command, you are not to speak to a team leader as so unless spoken to! You may be a team leader for your little group, but you were not appointed to be one of the leaders for the whole squad. You will follow out with the chain of command as we were taught to do so. Is that clear?"

Randy grumbled and grunted towards his two teammates, only to disappear out of sight with them when Charlie turned back to firing. Pei, Carl, and Kayla had just arrived on the scene, all of them armed with pilfered weapons as they approached the area where Charlie was. Everyone jumped into the nearby trees after covering their tracks and hid deep in the needles. Kitty made her way across the branches to check on those who had been injured. So far, all seemed to be all right, just some minor bruising from the shots and maybe some cuts and scrapes from tripping and tumbling. They could see the men roaming around, muttering to one another. Tommy held out his fist to silence the whispers and sent the message along to the others in the other trees. Pei listened carefully on the conversation.

"These kids are smarter than we had thought…" one muttered. "Not as dumb as the last group, that's for sure."

"Yeah, but that's because they were younger," another pointed out. "These guys are older and know how to fend for themselves as well as their teammates."

"But you heard the report Mendez gave us," a female replied. "These guys know what they are doing, and shouldn't be taken lightly."

"Don't you go turning soft on me, lieutenant…" the first one warned. "They may be kids, but we are doing this for their own benefit."

"Yeah, but let's not turn this into one of Tango Company's 'live round' mission, ok?" a fourth voice yipped. "After all, it is a training mission to see how they will react, as well as how well they can work in the snow. But I do have to wonder if Mendez will also be asking us to do a CTF round with them…"

"Who knows what that old chief is thinking about," the oldest of the group grunted. "With all due respect, he may be too old to stay in active duty, but that man sure knows what he's doing to train these kids."

"To Chief Petty Officer Mendez!"

"HOO-HAH!"

They whooped from below and continued to sniff out the tracks and trails like the dogs they were. Charlie held up a fist and motioned for everyone to be quiet. Within half an hour, the company had disappeared and Pei sent out the scouting groups to make sure things were in the clear. As soon as they were given the ok, everyone fell out gently, and Charlie had given Kitty the task of head counting. Two minutes later, Kitty came back, panting.

"We're missing three others…"

Charlie looked at Kitty in disbelief.

"What?"

"Everyone else is accounted for, but Randy and his team are not here…"

"Damn that boy…" Carl growled, punching his fist into a nearby tree. "And we don't really have time now…"

"Guys, make sure that everyone is armed somehow with stones or whatever," Pei ordered as she came running in. "I just sent our fastest team to where the extraction point is, and from his description, that place is heavily guarded… We'll need to find ways of whittling down the guards and securing the place for at least two days…"

"I say we do the divide-and-conquer method," Harper suggested. "That way, we'll also able to pilfer their weapons."

"Good idea," Isis commented. "We'll also need to make some sort of bunker there to keep the others who are injured safe."

"But what about Randy?" Kayla asked.

"We can forget about Mr. God for now," Charlie growled. "He and his goons are not worthy to be called Spartans… Always talking bad about the others when he can't even do a simple weapons cleanup without causing a ruckus."

"But he is still one of us," Isis replied. "We'll let the Chief deal with him after this exercise is done, ok?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and split into their teams again, this time, mixing it up a little bit as they now saw what they were capable of doing. Charlie still had his and Neala's, which was fine with him as he rather fancied having her well-behaved team working with his. It was almost as if nothing would go wrong. Kitty was always doing what she was told to do while Tommy's work, although a little on the awkward side, was complimenting Kitty's, helping her from the back while also watching his own. How they moved was almost perfect. If their leader were here, he would admit that this mission would've been a piece of cake for them, doing what needed to be done with simple hand movements, all without any vocal communication. He had to learn how to do that more efficiently.

The ten scouting teams dispersed into the forest, staying low as they surrounded the Huskies that were stationed on the perimeter. Charlie's team was the first to move out as they were the only ones whose team was complete armed. Isis' team followed Charlie's at a safe distance, all of them armed with snowballs that were covering stones. Kitty gave her weapons to Tommy and played the 'kitten,' hoping to lure the group of 'puppies' away from their posts little by little.

Their plan was that they would divide the group little by little, taking them out bit by bit and taking their weapons. These weapons they gave to the others that were not armed and as soon as they were armed, they would take another scouting and unarmed group, only to repeat the same process. As soon as most of them were out of the way, they would jump into the trees and wait for the Pelicans to arrive, defending their positions from the natural cover.

Kitty made herself look very battered thanks to Tommy's knack of uncleanness and stepped out, limping along the way. One of the younger Huskies looked up and chuckled.

"Hey, boss…" he murmured in a low voice. "Check out what just crawled in."

"Go take her out…" he replied. "Just don't kill her…"

"I won't…"

The girl looked around cluelessly, as though she was lost.

"Hey, kid, you lost or something?" the gunner grunted.

Kitty looked up and ran the other way.

"Hey! Get back here! Sir!"

"Don't just stand there! Go get her! What child is this much trouble?"

Without hesitation, the trooper jumped in. Gunfire echoed through the trees, only for the girl to jump out again, this time panting breathlessly.

"There are wolves in there!" she cried out, pointing into the brush. "Please! He's being ripped up by them!"

The leader looked at his team and they all chased the girl, only for her to disappear into the brush again. They approached the place carefully, poking their rifles through the bushes to make sure that it was not a sabotage. One of them stepped over, aiming his laser sights here and there, only for it to land on his fallen teammate.

"Chet!" he shouted. "Sir, Chet's down, and his weapons are missing!"

The tall man stood up and turned on his flashlight, sweeping the entire area.

"They're here…" he breathed. "…She's one of _them_… Keep up your guard, men… These kids mean business…"

Kitty sat out in the open again, huddled like the tiny ball she was. The light fell on her, and she sprinted. The men whooped and barked as they fired stun round after stun round, but after a few hundred meters, they noticed that something was wrong. They were no longer in the forest, but rather in a clearing away from their guard posts, no cover around them. Kitty stepped out again, only this time, the rest of her team accompanied her. Without warning, everyone launched the snowballs, causing a big distraction while she and Tommy went about to the back, taking their weapons to the back of the head. Six bodies went down with a soft thump.

"Target neutralized and incapacitated," Kitty reported as Tommy went on to pilfer their weapons. "That took a little longer, but I think that should give us some edge."

"Good job, Tommy and Kitty," Charlie commended. "Neala would be proud of you."

The two looked at each other and smiled as all weapons had been stripped from their owners. As soon as everyone had at least one weapon, Charlie took the rest of the weapons and stuffed them into his pockets while Tommy and Kitty had the rest.

"C'mon…" he ordered. "We'll take the extras back while the other team goes out and retrieves the rest. Once everyone is armed, we'll lead an assault and bunk in the trees. Once the Pelicans show up, sprint as fast as you can while those with assault rifles give cover, ok?"

Everyone nodded and backtracked to where the others were. Again, they did this several times until they had made sure that most of the Husky Company was put to sleep, so to say. By 1000 hours, everyone was in the treetops, taking shifts for sleeping, watching for the ships, and standing guard. They had done a job well done in the eyes of all the assigned leaders, all except three team members…

* * *

**Time: **1030 hours 

**Date: **March 13, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,010 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"There they are! Don't let them out of your sight!"

I was limping painful as we worked our way up the tree-covered hills. I was correct in saying that this was no easy task, and was also right that Mendez would not let this challenge go without a hitch. We had been running through the forest when we were caught be surprise.

We had tripped a hidden alarm going over a frozen river, alerting a whole group of spec-ops. They jumped out of nowhere, pelting us with their weapons. The Huskies were hot on our tail, and already, I had fired all the flare pistols the others had given me. Several shots had found their way on to my leg. Rubber they were, but they still held a lot of pain as we ran. I had already promised myself that I wouldn't leave anyone behind, save myself in times of great need, and this was one of those times when I considered it. I slashed through the twine with a stolen dagger and looked at the others.

"Head to the hill!" I shouted. "I'll hold them off!"

The others nodded and ran as I gathered stones and threw them with extreme accuracy, able to hit them on specific points on the body, such as the fingers, face, shoulders, and knees. I was a vicious fighter, and when I saw that they were not letting up, I pulled out the pistol. I was being threatened, and I needed to neutralize them fast. The first bullet bit into the Kevlar vest of one of the troopers, knocking the wind out of him. The others stopped and stared at me while I still held the weapon, ready to fire if needed. They began to back down and took a few steps back. I heard a whistle from above and ran up to meet with the others, only to continue on our journey.

As we went over another hill, I noticed a very large mound of snow, something very unnatural for a flat terrain such as this. I halted the others and walked towards it, only to grin from ear to ear. I quickly motioned for them to come over and revealed my finding. They all gasped.

"Is that…?"

"You're kidding…"

"Nope, it's a Warthog…"

We quickly scrambled in while I jumped into the driver's seat. The keys were not there, but upon one of our nightly runs, Tommy and I had managed to cross certain wires with others that it jump started, causing much distraction while we ran back to the barracks with Kitty and our reward of sweets. I ducked under and took off the panel, revealing the wires. Carefully using the knife, I cut through two wires and sliced off the sheaths, reconnecting them to the other. The engines purred to life and I quickly sat up. Antoine, Max, Leon, Tyler, and Tony were sitting in various locations of the Warthog. Sitting Shotgun with me was Leon while Max was sitting on the outer edge. Tony, Antoine, and Tyler squeezed into the gunner seat in the back. I looked over my shoulder at the other Warthogs.

Grinning, I jumped out and leapt into another, pulling off the panel in the same area and picking off the wires. However, unlike the 'Hog I had commandeered, I dug deeply into the mess and tangle, carefully snapping the twines and burying them deep into the heap. I did this until the four 'Hogs had all been messed with and returned to my comrades.

"You guys ready?" I shouted as I revved the engines.

"You sure you know how to drive this thing?" Tyler whimpered. "I mean, Mendez didn't teach us how to handle the Warthogs yet, let alone how to sit in one correctly!"

"Don't worry, guys! As long as we don't go flying off a cliff, we'll be fine!" I shouted over the engines, shifting the gears from parking to gear one. "Now, hang on!"

The boys gripped on to the frame of the vehicle as snow blew into their faces. I noticed that there were three others that were with this one. That's when I figured out that these belonged to the ones that were chasing us. I put the pedal down to the floor, more snow blowing past us as Leon looked at the dashboard.

"Hey, that's the area where we're supposed to be!" Leon exclaimed, pointing to the flashing black and green screen.

I didn't let go of the pedal, but looked down for a brief moment. Those in the 'hog's turret also looked over, all of them whooping.

"Well, looks like we're going to make it in time then!" I shouted over the roaring engines, watching as the others smiled. "We only have about thirty kilometers to go now!"

* * *

**Time: **1045 hours 

**Date: **March 13, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **CPO Mendez' Office, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"Chief Petty Officer Mendez, come in, sir!" a voice barked. "This is Husky Company Team Red! We have a situation here!"

The chief swiveled around in his chair and faced the monitor with his caller. The man had not slept for at least two nights now, starting at the screen intently as he watched each little yellow make their way from the cave to the extraction point. It was a wonder that the man was still alive despite his sleeping habits. Some say that he wasn't even human to begin with. He poured himself a shot of whiskey and downed it before taking the call.

"Report, Red Leader."

The man on the screen, no more than in his mid-20's, looked very haggled and bushed, not to mention that he seemed to be out of breath or was running with his team while making the call.

"Sir, one of the trainees has a weapon with live rounds!"

Mendez raised a brow and tilted his head to one side.

"No one is supposed to be armed with a gun of any sort save the flare guns I equipped them with, or whatever weapons they pilfer from your men."

"I know, sir, but she has live rounds on her."

"What? Which one?"

"Don't know who she is, sir, but she caught Crum by surprise and knocked the wind out of him."

"She didn't get it from one of your men, did she?" the chief demanded, pointing at the others behind the red leader. "You know very well that I gave you strict orders to not bring any weapon with live rounds."

"With all due respect, sir, none of us have disobeyed your orders and have not brought any live ammunition with us. We followed your orders down to every last word."

"Then how in the world?"

"This is Spartan-087 reporting in," came another voice from another monitor. "I'm following Neala carefully, and she has been armed since she left the cave for the missing five. I'm tracking them from a distance now. Seems that there is one they are towing on a sled while she and the other four are pulling it as fast as they can. For what I gathered, the one on the sled has a broken leg. The others seem to be all right, save for several bandaged wounds."

"Kelly? But how did she get her hands on it, that's what I want to know."

"I think that can be explained," came another voice from another monitor. "This is Spartan-003 reporting in, sir."

"What is it, Kale?"

"Upon their arrival in the polar zones, one of the kids being chased by the wolves had managed to find one in an abandoned camp. I didn't believe that it was loaded when he handed it over to another, who in turn, handed it over to Neala when she left."

"This certainly puts an interesting twist to things…" Mendez murmurs. "Very well then. Red Leader, I want you to end your chase and head to the extraction point as soon as possible. The others have already arrived and made quick work of the others. From what I see on the map, they are guarding the perimeter of the zone with weapons they had managed to pick off your own men."

"What? Are you saying the Blue and Green teams are also down?" Red Leader stammered in disbelief. "B-but…"

"Them and Yellow and Black teams…" Kale added. "These kids are better than you think, Red Leader."

"Looks like we'll have to step it up a notch… We'll be taking the Warthogs to the extraction point."

"But be careful, ok?" Kelly warned. "You never know what they are capable of."

"Indeed," Kale added. "They are armed with all your weapons, so you're going to need to watch your back."

"Don't worry, Mendez. We won't dent your 'hogs, nor will we harm the kiddies."

"I expect you to be a man of your word then, Red Leader."

"Yes, sir. Red Leader out."

The chief turned to Kelly and Kale's screens.

"I need to guys to keep an eye on the others, Kelly, you especially with Neala," he ordered. "If what they and Kale say is true, and Neala is indeed armed with live rounds, you will need to keep your distance. Also, when we pick them up tomorrow in the morning, I want Neala isolated from the rest. I will need to speak with her privately…"

"Yes, sir," both Spartans replied in unison before turning off the visual feed. "We'll rendezvous with red team before engaging the teens."

Mendez took a sip of his coffee and rubbed his temples a bit. He looked at Neala's records carefully then pulled up Satoshi's. They had the exact same thing going on. Satoshi had managed to get his hands on a 'live round' armament when he was training in the minefields, but he had never fired it. The only difference with Neala was that she had fired her, risking the possibility of killing one of the Husky Company's men. She was very dangerous, but this was also what he was looking for: someone who was able to turn and fight back without questions for the safety of her comrades.

As he was about to stand up, Red Leader appeared on the screen again.

"Uh, sir…?"

"Yes?"

"One of the Warthogs has been commandeered, sir, and none of others are starting up… We're checking for any damage, but we don't see any. The guys are checking the engines. We believe that it was that girl with the group of guys."

"So, they know how to hotwire the 'hogs, huh? Well, this is a most unexpected turn of events. Might I suggest that you work fast then, Aaron. Looking at the map, she has a good ten-kilometer lead. Within the hour, she'll arrive with the others, and that's when things will be troubling for you, especially if she finds out how to use that turret."

"Yes, sir. We'll be on our way right as soon as we find out what's wrong."

He killed the video feed and stepped out into the mess hall, where the late night pilots had just arrived from the flying, taking a nice long and relaxing coffee break before heading out to extraction point. He pointed out four pilots and waited until they had their fill of the caffeine-loaded beverage. He was escorted by these pilots and entered the first Pelican. They lifted off and, once airborne, cleared the forest and were in the air, heading for the location where they would pick up everyone.

* * *

**Time: **1350 hours 

**Date: **March 13, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,050 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

Kitty was playing lookout in the tallest tree, looking through a pair of binoculars Tommy had found while digging through the pockets of the black team's leader. She found them really useful, as she was the early warning signal in case someone was coming over the horizon. Just then, she spotted a large plume of white billowing far away. She strained her eyes, only to throw one of her ready-made snowballs at a sleeping Tommy below her.

"Tommy!" she squealed, hanging on to her branch but hanging upside-down.

"What…?" he murmured, opening an eye and brushing the snow off his dark face. "What's going on? Are we under attack?"

"No, but we better get ready!" she whimpered. "I saw something kicking up clouds in the distance, much like the Warthogs kicking up sand when we were in that Desert Storm operation against the Stallion Company."

"Oh boy…" he murmured, sitting up and stretching his muscles. "You remember what happened then, right?"

"Yeah, it was really bad. They had us cornered with their Scorpions but Neala came in time with flash grenades and bailed us out of there, and not to mention that we returned to base with their flag!"

"Yep! Now, we better tell the others that we have company."

Tommy slid down the tree and waited at the bottom as Kitty climbed down and jumped into Tommy's waiting arms. They both fell with a soft thump, but then dusted off and searched for Charlie in another tree. They told him and the others what was going on. This kept them on high alert. Harper and Tobias quickly ordered those with assault rifles to take point in the trees facing the incoming vehicle while the two equipped with sniper rifles were stationed in the high trees. The ammunition the snipers were carrying were not those of stun rounds, as the power yield would instantly turn any rubber bullet into a deadly live round. Instead, these were equipped with tranquilizer darts that were strong enough to put any ODST out for a good portion of the day. The only problem was that no one was able to fire these with complete accuracy yet. The only weapons they were taught to deal with were the MA5B Assault Rifle and for some of the other trainees, the M12C Pistol. All had to be versed in using the grenades, both flash and the M9 HE-DP, but other than that, their weapon choices were highly limited.

Within an hour, the vehicle loomed into view, and the teens peered over the snow bank while Kitty was up in the tree with Tommy again. They fired a few warning shots from the pistol, but when they saw that they were not slowing down, Kitty tried to get a better look.

"What do you see?" Tommy asked as he squinted into the bright landscape.

"It's… IT'S NEALA!" Kitty shouted. "NEALA! SHE'S ALIVE!"

"What!"

The young girl jumped into the snow back, giving a fright to the gunners positioned below as she scrambled towards the slowing Warthog. The vehicle came to a full stop as Charlie and the other leaders came out to see what the commotion was about, only to also beam when they saw that their leader had returned from had first been thought as an unsuccessful mission.

* * *

I saw everyone gathering as I leapt out of the 'hog, only to be embraced by my very first friend, Kitty. The others came out as soon as they had gotten the clear from my little scout, and proceeded to take the wounded in behind our makeshift barracks. I pulled the vehicle behind our lines and climbed out to get a better look of the whole vehicle. The side had the UNSC logo, an eagle with its wings spread out, its talons holding Earth. I rounded it a few times and got into the turret. There were no live rounds, but we did find barrels of rubber bullets. Isis came out and looked at it. 

"So you managed to commandeer one of these things?" she asked. "How did you do that?"

"Well…"

I spent a good portion of my return retelling my adventure, of running to the area where the five were stranded, of the mysterious stalker, of meeting with the Husky Company, and of taking/sabotaging the LRV. I was extremely tired, and was grateful that I was back amongst friends, or at least, that's what I thought. I noticed that I did not hear the boisterous and rude laugh of Randy, and asked where he was.

"He just disappeared during one of our routine head counts," Carl replied. "He and Isis got into a fight about not sticking to the plan and how she was not doing anything when she was actually waiting for the Huskies to take the bait before we moved in on the attack."

"Why am I not surprised…?" I murmured, trying to stifle a yawn. "I'll find and talk to him later…"

Tommy looked at me with his great hazel eyes, lines of worry etched about his face.

"Neala, you really need to rest," he suggested, Kitty and the others all nodding in agreement. "It's like you haven't slept at all since we last saw you."

"I did get some sleep though."

"But not enough to get your whole functionality back," Charlie pointed out as he ushered me to where the wounded were. "Just get some sleep, ok? Tobias and I will keep guard around the perimeter. We're switching off every two hours so that we won't overdo ourselves. Knowing the Husky Company, they'll probably send in fresh reinforcements to take us out. We'll need you when that happens, Neala. No one has been able to stay calm in such a storm as that."

I smiled and looked at the leaders I had appointed, as well as my team.

"Thank you, Charlie, and I think I will get some rest. I only got a total of six hours, and that was after pulling our lost team into safety."

The others nodded and I had retired in a small bunk hole that Tommy had dug. It was small, like the little arctic fox dens, but they were just as cozy as our barracks back in Camp Recluse. Promptly, I closed my eyes and drifted into slumber, not worrying as much as my team, my family, was now together again.

* * *

**Time: **2350 hours 

**Date: **March 13, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,050 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"Neala! Wake up!"

I turned in my sleep, only to be dragged out by the feet. I growled and hissed as a bright light shined into my face. I opened one eye, only to see that it was Charlie, who was using the light that was mounted on the assault rifle.

"We have a situation here!"

"What's going on…?" I murmured, sitting up and using the snow to wash my face a bit and wake up.

"It's Randy! He and his goons are back, and they're shooting everyone with the Warthog turret!"

"Damn him…" I growled as anger began to build up inside me. "Get everyone out of firing range and get me a weapon with stun rounds. The pistol I have won't do me any good unless I want to be held on account for killing my own, even if he is a threat."

"Ashley has one of the sniper rifles, and it is still fully loaded," Charlie explained as we ducked from tree to tree to avoid the shots. "Arty has the other, but he already shot two of them, both of them missing. Neither of them are shooters yet, but we were hoping that maybe you had a luckier shot at them."

I looked down and picked up a fragment of glass that had fallen from the Warthog's windshield and looked into it for a reflection. There was Randy, shooting maniacally, shouting that he was the rightful leader and should be the only one everyone was obeying. I grunted in disgust.

"And just how did he manage to get to the 'hog?" I asked as we made our way to where Ashley was, who was now tending to several wounded.

"We had Rick, Ben, Chase, and Neal watching the vehicle, but they came out of nowhere and butt these four into unconsciousness," Isis replied. "We fired several warning shots, but he fired at will against us, forcing us to find cover here and other nearby areas."

"Mendez will certainly hear of this roguish behavior…" I murmured, watching Isis wrap a bleeding leg. "What happened here?"

"Several of us were trying to get away, but Randy did well to aim at our legs, so we fumbled and got scratched up pretty badly. Most of the medical field kits have been used up, so we're running low on resources."

I glared at my watch.

"It's midnight now…" I reported. "We just need to defend this territory for another five hours, and then we'll be back in our barracks recuperating."

However, I knew at least one person would not be recuperating the correct way. Taking Ashley's sniper rifle, I dove behind a boulder before he saw me and loaded the first dart. I had seen the war movies that CPO Mendez showed us when we spoke of tactics, and how most snipers did better when on their stomachs rather than kneeling or standing. I laid out on my stomach and aimed for Randy's thigh. The shot was sure and true, and the boy fell out of the turret seat, groaning and yelling as the two others came out from the driver's seat and shotgun.

"Who goes there?" I heard Kurt shout. "You know better than to shoot your own men!"

I didn't say anything and pointed to Kitty, who was well hidden in the branches above me. I cupped my hand and then opened it suddenly. Kitty nodded and held a flash grenade in her little hands. I looked over again, this time, Paul was in the turret, but he wasn't shooting. Kurt was at Randy's side and pulled out the dart I had fired. He would be out for a good while, but I watched as he pulled out a small bottle, only for it to shake the sleeping boy up. I growled and brought my hand from the back to the front in a large overhand arc with my hand still cupped. Kitty pulled the pin and threw the grenade on my mark, as well as three others. The dark spot lit up like day, and we charged in. I could hear fistfights and yelling as the three had been blinded, rendered helpless against the strongest three of all of us. When the light had died down, there they were, lying on their stomachs, battered and beaten. Tommy had taken control of the Warthog's turret and was pointing it at the three below.

The teams made a pathway for me to step through. Everyone stood at attention and saluted while I nodded at them to stand down. They looked up at me, the sleek, matte-black sniper rifle hanging from my back while I still had the 'live round' pistol tucked into my belt. I squatted to their eye level and stared at them.

"You understand why I did what I did, yes…?" I asked in a very calm voice.

"Can it, girlie…" Randy spat, a trail of blood leaving his mouth and landing on my face. "Mendez will surely have your head for this… Attacking me like that…"

Everyone gasped as I stood up and wiped the blood off, only to stare at him, then at Kurt, then at Paul.

"You had endangered everyone here…" I continued. "You had deliberately disobeyed orders from those whom I had set up as leaders in my stead. You had not only endangered everyone, but even yourself! What's more? You left everyone, decided to wander off on your own business while everyone was securing the zone!"

"Girl, this ain't no real war, you know that?" Randy muttered. "We'll get a second chance… Just you wait and see…"

"Don't you get it?" Isis rebuked as she stepped out. "There is no second chance in the real world… Once you're dead, you're done… You can forget about fighting off the Covenant and saving humanity."

"Who says this is about saving humanity?" Paul laughed. "This is for the glory!"

A wave of murmur went through the group surrounding us, all muttering in disgust at their selfish behavior.

"There is no glory if there are no lives that will thank you for your deeds," Charlie growled in disappointment. "We were chosen to save humanity, not to become celebrities."

"Think all you want, but just you watch! Once you taste fame, you'll want more and more!" Kurt laughed. "Admit it, Neala! That is why you are here!"

"Enough…"

Everyone turned to look at me as I held up my pistol and pointed it at the three. They all became quiet, the hammer locked in place as my finger was ready to pull the trigger.

"Neala, stop…" Tommy murmured, getting down from the turret.

My eyes did not move, but I gave him my reply.

"No… I have had enough…"

"Neala, be more reasonable…" Kitty whimpered. "Let the Chief deal with them…"

"No… This is the end of the line for them…"

The rounds were fired and everyone closed their eyes, but when they opened them, the boys were still alive. Three bullet holes in the snow had appeared, each within one inch of each head. I could hear their heart beating furiously; I could smell their fear. I looked at Charlie.

"Make sure that they are secured and don't let them leave your sight," I ordered in a very stern tone. "Have at least six others switch off every hour so that they do not get away. I will let Mendez deal with them as I have promised. In the meantime, give me the sit-rep, guys…"

* * *

**Time: **0100 hours 

**Date: **March 14, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,049 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"Sir, we've found our missing 'hog…"

"Really? Is it with that girl?"

"No, but she is there. There seems to be a small camp of them there though."

Red Team, along with Kelly and Kale, were watching the teens from a nearby cliff. Both of the Spartans had seen what had just happened, along with the Red Team scout.

"You know, we should approach them with caution…" Kelly warned. "There's no telling what Neala will do, especially if she was that close to killing three of her own men…"

"No way I am going near her again!" the leader snorted. "She already knocked the wind out of Crum, scaring the hell out of all of us!"

Just then, the Pelicans arrived and landed fifty meters away from the small group, only for Mendez to jump out as the engines died.

"What's going on?" he barked, his grizzled gray hair catching snowflakes and building up into a beard of snow. "I miss anything?"

"Yeah, your girl in question was about to execute three of the other teammates, but didn't," Kale responded, still looking through his scope after saluting.

"I wonder if she can kill on her own will, or if she needs to be commanded to do so in order to follow through with it…" he murmured, remembering the actions 117 took against the trio of Helljumpers.

"Whatever the case, sir, they are holding the other teams as POWs," Aaron pointed out. "No torturing, but they are stripped of their armor and weapons. They did a mighty fine job of that, mind you. Even getting the hidden daggers in their sleeves and boots."

"And the weapons?"

"All dispersed amongst everyone according to their abilities. The only one who has been able to use a sniper successfully is Neala," Kelly replied. "The others still miss, even with stationary targets. The rest are armed with the modified MA5B Assault Rifles while the others are equipped with flash grenades and the M12C pistols."

"Aaron, take your men and cause as much distraction as you can," the chief ordered. "You have three Warthogs, all loaded with their training fire, as well as enough skills to drive them a little on the edgy side. See if you can break their concentration. At 0450 hours, I want you and the others to begin opening fire, see if they can get into the Pelican while under fire. Knowing Stallion Company, they will perform something similar to this the next time I give them an unexpected CTF call."

"To teach the kids, no doubt," Kale sighed.

"What was that, sergeant…?"

"Nothing, sir!"

Kelly smirked behind her visor and mounted her snowmobile while Kale jumped on.

"I want you two to continue monitoring the kids," the chief ordered. "I know some of them are injured, but I have a feeling that several of them won't be making it."

"Why is that, sir?" Kelly asked as the engines started.

"These harsh terrains were meant to test the body, and I see that some have not been able to endure it as well. Checking their biorhythms, some have already dropped into the danger zones."

"You mean…"

"Yes… I'm afraid some of them will not survive the way home…"

Everyone was quiet as they let the words sink into their minds. Yes, this was one of many reasons why Mendez and Halsey were reluctant to continue this project one final time. Lives would be lost, just as lives were lost on the field.

"But you have your orders. Kelly, Kale. Once all the children are in the Pelicans, I want you to get aboard the one Neala is in and take the pistol away, as well as guarding her. When we arrive, please escort her to my office while I debrief the others and send them along their way for recuperation."

"Yes, sir."

The two Spartans headed down the opposite way and disappeared under the thick fog, leaving Red Team and Mendez. The chief turned to the Husky.

"Tell your general that it was a fine time to work with him and his men," he commended. "This operation was very successful and has allowed me more insight about the missions to come."

"Thank you, sir, that you allowed us to engage on your students," he replied. "It was a very interesting exercise for both sides. We greatly underestimated them, but next time, we'll be ready for them!"

"Very good. We shall do this again when the snow season arrives again. In the meantime, who would you suggest would be the best for an underwater excursion?"

"Underwater? I'd have to say the Namibia Bay Stingrays. They're known for their stealthy ways of the deep."

"Thank you, Red Leader. Now, I will let you go about your plans. Remember, I want heavy fire, but don't shoot the Pelicans."

"We won't. Oh yeah, sir?"

"Yes?"

"The general wants to know how he will be compensated for the missing weapons and his wounded."

"Tell him that he will be able to keep the four Warthogs you guys are using, as well as four more I will be sending later in the day. As for the weapons, I will make sure that every last one that was used by any of my students will be retributed with a new battle rifle, and if that does not appease him, we will also send him a crate of our speed grenades and Jackhammer rockets."

"I think that will be more than enough to appease him, chief, but we do want to thank you for allowing us to get out and train with your kids. They are very challenging in the way they move and do things."

"Indeed, I could've never been more proud with any other group than this… Now, I will be on my way, Aaron. Good luck in this final stretch."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

**Time: **0450 hours 

**Date: **March 14, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Tragedian Polar Zones, 1,050 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"WE'RE UNDER FIRE! RETREAT TO THE PELICANS!"

All was in chaos as I was returning fire upon fire at the assaulting Huskies. The leaders and I were doing a sweep while Tommy, Kitty, and several of Pei's scouting teams were picking up the wounded. The Pelicans had arrived, but they were still in the air. They were not going to touch down until 0500 hours, which meant we had to defend our territory. The Husky Company had surprised us with their Warthogs, shooting into the trees to flush us out. Some of us were on the ground already, shouting for everyone to get down, but we were already too tired to hear anything else. Even the ever-alert Kitty had fallen asleep on her post, as well as the other scouts.

"Everyone, fall back!" she shouted, the rubber bullets bouncing off the Kevlar vests we had taken from the POWs. "Vann, get Randy and his team over here now! We can't afford to have anyone left behind, traitors or not!"

"Yes, ma'am!" she shouted, being covered by three others while dragging the team behind the lines.

"And get the wounded and detained to be the first ones in!"

I checked the time again. Five minutes. I looked up and saw that the Pelicans were hovering right above us, waiting for the exact time to drop. I fired several more rounds and ducked behind Charlie as he gave me cover and I switched magazines. I dropped to my stomach and fired at those who were in the trees, hitting square between the eyes. Kitty had her pistol and was hitting one person per round. When she needed to change, she threw a flash grenade and ducked into the snow, only to pop back out like a snow leopard and fire another salvo at the oncoming attackers.

Three minutes…

We were losing the battle, but we kept on fighting. We were trained to be soldiers, no longer on our own, but together with our sibling in arms.

Two minutes…

I could see that we were low on ammunition and those behind us were using the snow as weapons, throwing snow-covered rocks.

One minute…

I motioned for everyone to get into small groups and get ready to board the Pelicans, once they were on the ground.

Zero…

"EVERYONE GET IN!" Isis shouted, pointing to Pei to jump in first.

Pei nodded and leapt into the ship with her team, followed by the other seven other scouting teams while pulling in the injured. The remaining two leapt into another Pelican while several others also jumped in, the leaders on the ground giving cover fire. One by one, the dropships were being filled. The Husky Company howled and blitzed in for the kill, only for us to return fire. Kitty and Tommy had jumped into the last ship, leaving Charlie and I to be the last ones. Both of us ran backwards, keeping up the fire while being grabbed by the back by Antoine and Jimmy. Three others grabbed Charlie and I stared at the pilot.

"Let's go!" I shouted, only for two people in white armor to jump in unexpectedly.

The whole ship rocked as the weight pulled down a little from the extra two passengers. Everyone gasped as they cleared the way, and I watched as these towering figures stood before me.

"Neala-468?" one asked.

I didn't know who they were, but from their armor, I knew they were Spartans, and I stood up in fear and respect of them.

"Yes?" I replied.

They held out their hand. I knew what this meant and stripped off all the weapons and armor, turning them into the waiting pair of hands. As soon as that was over, they stood next to me, each on my opposite flanks. I could feel Randy's eyes, jeering at me, but I could also tell that he was coming down with something. Good riddance…

As we rode back, I began to feel sick in my stomach and leaned into the armored suit. As cold as it was, I did not care. I was tired… I was sick…

And I needed help, fast…

* * *

**Time: **0530 hours 

**Date: **March 14, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Enroute to Camp Recluse, 1,025 km from UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"Chief, all children have been accounted for, but many of them are sick, some with hypothermia and other sub-zero related illnesses," Kale reported. "All of them will need to be sent into the medical ward for a physical, the ones that have been battered especially."

"All right, Kale," a voice replied over his headset. "What about Neala?"

"I'm afraid she's not doing so well," Kelly replied. "Her temperature is running at 103 degrees and climbing, sir."

"I was afraid this would happen… What about the others?"

Kale answered this one as he transferred the information of those on his Pelican to the chief officer's palm unit.

"Sir, they are all in need of attention, minor or not."

"I've already alerted the medical ward, and they are waiting for our arrival. Just make sure that Neala is among the living when we arrive, got it?"

"Yes, sir. We understand."

"Good… In the meantime, when you arrive, have all the weapons and armor removed from all of them. Huskies want their play toys back."

"We will, sir. As soon as we drop off the kids, we'll send a few of the uninjured kids to deliver the cra-"

"No," Mendez stopped Kale mid-syllable. "I will deliver them myself tomorrow as I do have to speak with their general."

"Very well, sir. We'll see to it that these kids are treated and on their way to training tomorrow."

"Very good, but give them a day's rest…"

"Yes, sir…"

"Mendez out…"

Kelly checked all the biorhythms of each kid in their Pelican, as well as getting information from those on the other ships. Many were in severe health danger zones. She banged a fist against the cockpit door, sending a low vibration through the entire hull. Everyone looked at her in fear, but stayed quiet.

"How long until we land?" her external speakers barked.

"About fifteen minutes, ma'am," the pilot replied. "These Pelicans are going as fast as they can, and adding headwind to it, it's just not our day."

"Just keep at it, soldier. We're counting on you to get these kids in."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kitty crawled over, limping slightly as she had taken a heavy blow to her leg when one of the Huskies managed to fire at her while she scrambled on. The pain was dulled a bit, but the skin had been slightly torn, a flesh wound. She whimpered a bit, touching Neala's knee.

"Will she be ok?" she whispered, forgetting about her own pain, but thinking of her leader's.

Kelly looked down at the girl. She reminded her of when she was little, worried about her comrades more than herself, but she was also able to contain herself and worried about her own well-being when needed. She held out an arm and brought Kitty on to her lap, a gesture that struck Kale as very odd, but he stayed quiet as he continued to monitor those who were in dire need of attention.

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Mind you, this was written during the wee hours of when I should be sleeping. However, insomnia has a way with me, so I barely sleep. This chapter, along with a few of the future ones that are this long, are results of me not betting enough sleep. So, many apologies to those who are reading this and are used to shorter chapters. I wish I can cut these into seperate chapters, but that would make them too short. The shooting scenes did take place during a game on _Halo: Custom Edition_, where we actually did act this out on the maps _Coldsnap_ and _Arctic Wasteland V2_, although I wish I had the original script that was posted during the game via in-game chat instead of recording them on XFire._

_Regardless, sorry for the multiple OOCs, but I am seriously out of it when I write these... Half the time, I'm like, "WTF was I on while writing?" which usually ends up being nothing but me being way too tired... College can have a major toll on you..._


	11. Chapter 10

_**Saying Goodbye…**_

**Time: **0450 hours

**Date: **March 18, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Medical Ward (West Wing), Camp Recluse, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

I stared out the window of my room, the sky clear, not one cloud tainting the sky. Four days had passed, but I was in no mood to do anything but to get back on the field and continue my training. It was the perfect day to go out and run a few miles before hitting the obstacle course, but a part of me didn't want to as I stared at the flagstaff. The flag was at half-mast, and I already knew why…

Earlier that day, I had gone against the doctor's orders, and was walking around. I did not like staying in one spot for very long and had to find out if the others had made it out all right. After all, they were family. Unfortunately, that was not the case…

Many teams had been washed out, some I knew and some I didn't know as well, but either way, they were a part of my family, and I grieved for them as any other sibling would when they lost someone they cared for.

Team Sitco, the one that had been lost during the exercise but I had retrieved, had all perished upon coming home. The broken leg that Leon had suffered was frostbitten, and then infected with gangrene. When they had amputated it, he did not survive the procedure, only to die an hour later. As for the other four, they had suffered from respiratory and cardiac problems. Antoine and Max both had severe heart failure while Tyler and Tony died from hypothermia. Although they were not the brightest of the pack, they did what they could to pitch in, no matter what.

Team Nova, one of the ten scouting teams, had died from internal bleeding. After their initial drop off, they had taken an extreme fall, smashing into the trees when they slid on the ice. All had their ribs broken, and all had blood running into their lungs. They had pushed aside their pain and continued to help us, but if only they told would we have gotten them back to base sooner. They would always remain in my heart for their courage and loyalty.

Team Glacier was one of our gunner squads. All had suffered major injures to the head from the rubber bullets, resulting in concussions and cerebral damage. Two of them had gone into shock when they arrived at the medical ward, only to pass away fifteen minutes later. The last one, their leader, was so attached to his team that he did not have the will to go on and died ten minutes after them.

Finally, Team Arbor, the one that everyone hated the most, had also been washed out of the SPARTAN-IV project. As much as I hated them, I was there when they had their final breath. Randy had revealed to no one but me that the Husky Company had laid siege on him when he had disappeared from the team, beating him forcefully as though trying to teach him a lesson for deserting his fellow fighters. The other two were put through the same thing, but had not suffered as much. What those two suffered were heavily torn tissues, as well as blood clots in their brain, when they had been severely beaten before release. What I did not understand was why they had acted as so against us, that was, until he told me. His voice was shallow as he spoke.

"I never did mean to put you through so much trouble, Neala…"

I did not take this lightly and was still very bitter towards him for the countless times that we had gotten into fights for petty things.

"Oh, really? And how is that so? You practically had me at my wit's end!"

"I guess I was just… Jealous…"

I sat there at his bedside, staring at the two beds that had once held his other two teammates. They were empty now, their bodies being prepared for burial, or whatever they did to the bodies of dead trainees. I stared into his dull eyes.

"Jealous?"

"Yeah… I guess…"

A fit of choughs erupted from his throat, and I quickly gave him a cup of water, which he downed before continuing.

"I just couldn't live up to your standards… To actually lead the way you do."

"How so?"

"Just the way you can take any situation into your hands without hesitating… To call up people without them thinking twice… That was what I wanted to be able to do… But now, I can't…"

"Randy…"

"You know that question you asked me that night, before boarding the Pelican? Well, I know why you did what you did… You cared for the teams, even though they were not part of your squad… I respect you greatly, Neala, and I wish I didn't say or do what I said or did, but what's done is done…"

He raised his hand in one final salute, as shake as it was, and was gone.

The nurse came in and escorted me out, a white sheet now covering his body. I turned away and walked out back to my room, where Tommy and Kitty were waiting, worried that I had passed away also. They gathered around me, and we held each other. Kitty began to bawl while Tommy was just holding on, whimpering. I began to cry too… Crying because my family had become smaller… Crying because I still had my team… But most of all, just crying…

That evening, seventy-five of us stood in our black wool suits, all of us staring at the twenty-five that did not make it. A twenty-one-gun salute was fired after we had paid our respects and watched as the coffins of mahogany were lowered into the dirt tombs. My team was the last to leave, as I wanted to wait until all was complete and that I was sure that no one would disturb his or her final resting place. Kitty and Tommy made no movements until they heard footsteps. Turning around, they quickly snapped into a salute, when I heard an, 'At ease' from our instructor, Chief Petty Officer Mendez. I turned on heel and also saluted, but what I didn't notice was that I had tears on my face.

"At ease, private…" the chief said softly, his hands folded behind his back. "Are you ok?"

I turned around to look at the graves as the staff cleaned up the place. There they were, twenty-five members of my family, dead…

"Did I… Did I do something wrong?" I asked quietly as both Kitty and Tommy were dismissed to their barracks for rest.

Both were reluctant to leave me behind, but they new better than to disobey a senior officer's orders.

"No, you did nothing wrong," he replied, handing me a handkerchief from his breast pocket. "But we must talk in my office. Walk with me…"

I nodded and followed behind him to his office as I wiped the cloth on my face. I noticed that I was closely flanked by what I assumed to be the same two Spartans from the end of training that day. We entered his office, but the two Spartans waited at their post outside his door. He motioned for me to have a seat in the empty chair, and I looked at him oddly then sat down, as I was never comfortable to sit down in the presence of a superior. He pulled up his large chair and sat there, his hands folded in front of him while he leaned over. The smell of cigars was overwhelming my mind, but I staved it and looked at him. He was a very intimidating man, one of military brilliance. However, all of us in the project saw him as our father. I was very nervous when he began to speak.

"Now, from what I hear, you had a weapon with live rounds, yes?" he questioned.

I was silent for a while, but knew better.

"Yes, I did… I was in possession of one."

"And where did you get it?"

I couldn't put the rest of the teams in danger, yet I couldn't lie.

"Private Charlie of Team Fire handed it to me before I went to find Team Sitco."

"And where did Private Charlie find the weapon?"

"I do not know, sir. If I did, then I would not withhold the information."

Mendez seemed to contemplate on what I had just said, as the wrinkles on his became more pronounced.

"Very well, private… I will see to it that you are not held responsible for finding it, but you do hold some for being in possession of a fully-armed weapon when you have no clearance to."

"I understand the terms, sir, and I will take full responsibility of this."

Just then, the door opened again, this time, Dr. Halsey walked in. I watched as she stared at me, a mix of emotions drawn on her weathered face. She stood next to me.

"Well, what is this about?" she asked, looking at the screens that had replays of what had happened during the 'camping' session. "Oh… I see… So, what are you going to do about it, Mendez? After all, the training is your part, not mine."

"Halsey, she is the one you are counting on currently, and I was thinking that you had a solution for some sort of reward/punishment for such behavior."

"Well, she certainly does act like him, but she is too dangerous to be dealt with right now…"

"Yet, she is also the only one who has been able to lead a large group successfully, despite how many had been 'washed out' of the program…"

"But that is not her fault. From the reports, she did what she could, and more."

I did not know what was going on, but I knew better than to talk or whine about it. Mendez hated whiners, and I was not about to start off what seemed to be a bad evening on his bad side. I looked at Mendez one more time.

"Well, squad leader, looks like it is time you take your role and lead the teams like they are supposed to run."

I snapped my head up and blinked.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"You heard me, squad leader. From now on, you will be leading the teams through every challenge I put them against, and it will be your job to pull them through at whatever cost."

I was shocked. I was not expecting this as I was only doing what we were taught, and that was to help out everyone in the best possibly way, getting them out of harm's way to fight another day. Halsey nodded as Mendez murmured something under his breath. I was perplexed at this action, but I saw it as a challenge and stood up, giving a crisp salute.

"Sir, I will not let you down…"

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** OMG... The headache... Ok, here's the thing before you comment... DON'T YELL AT ME FOR A CONCEPT THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE FOUND IN FALL OF REACH, OK! Nag at me about this, and I will block you from commenting, got that? School is taking a toll at me at the moment, but I do have about seven chapters already completed. However, they are still undergoing heavy editing, as well as other good things. Now, an explanation on Neala..._

_She is intended to be the next Spartan leader for the SPARTAN-IV project and is supposed to be similar to 117, hence how she becomes a leader is similar to how he became one. This is just part of the character development, which is why the story may seem to be moving a bit slow for some people's liking. Later on, the characters, Neala and her team, as well as Satoshi and his team, will have their characteristics fully developed, which will make the later chapters more interesting, especially when it comes to Neala's team meeting Satoshi's for the first time..._

_Another sidenote: This was written when I found that a couple friends of mine had passed away, so I would appreciate it if you guys did not review this chapter so harshly... Thanks in advanced...  
_


	12. Chapter 11

_**Hell Freezes Over**_

**Time: **2100 hours

**Date: **March 30, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Onboard the UNSC ship _Forbidden Evolution_, enroute to planet Ovid IX, Orion System

The Spartans were in the training room, going under micro-gravity therapy, as well as working at various strengths of gravity, to keep in top condition. It had been a week, and keeping them occupied was a very tough job. Even Admiral Whitten had agreed. Every time he stuck his head into the room, Spartans only in their black bodysuit armor were in the ring, sparring with each other in ways that not even the ODSTs could withstand. They were vaulting and punching in such quick and swift movements that by the time he had counted five jabs and asked how many there actually were, 'fifteen' was returned in reply. Satoshi, who was working at the bench, saw the admiral and quickly stood up after heaving four hundred pounds back on the rack.

"ADMIRAL ON DECK!" his voice echoed, throwing down his towel and saluting.

The whole room stopped and all of them turned to snap a salute. Whitten acknowledged all thirty-five of them with a nod as he made eye contact with each of them.

"At ease, Spartans," he barked, his voice having a hint of being intimidated in a room of engineered super soldiers. "Chief, a word with you?"

Satoshi quickly wiped the sweat off his forehead and worked down a bottle of water before joining the commanding officer. He looked at all of them and gave a quick gesture with his hand. The others returned to their activities as they left the room.

"So, you have any idea of what to do?" the admiral asked as they walked on to the main bridge.

"I still need to know what I am looking for exactly…" he murmured.

The presence of a Spartan outside his suit certainly drew some attention, especially from the female officers on deck. Satoshi, although he was only thirty-six years, looked like he was in his late forties, but was built as though he was only twenty-five. His muscles were toned perfectly, each sinew bulging at its base. His steps were smooth and perfectly timed. The only thing about him was the fact that his dark hair had somewhat lightened to a dark gray with a stripe of light gray near his temples, possibly from the years of stress and toll from the wars. There was some whispering, but after a quick glance from the admiral, the noise ceased, only to be replaced with the clicking of keyboards and the beeping of computers.

"For all we know, the Covenant are digging things up…" the admiral replied, chewing the end of an old smoke pipe. "Artifacts, weapons, methane… Who knows what they are doing… Right now, we need to stop whatever operation they are starting down there. Geit, where are you?"

A small bluish translucent being in the shape of a centaur with a staff in hand appeared on the holographic podium. This was the _Forbidden Evolution's_ AI, Geit. For some reason, the computerized being did not choose a full human form, but that of half horse, half man. This struck the programmers oddly as many would choose some sort of human form instead of a half being. Then again, those in ONI and other research projects had different avatars, like Beowulf, which looked more like a ghost more than anything. Satoshi found some amusement to see something from an ancient textbook command such a revolutionary warship like the _Forbidden Evolution_. However, it was just a visual representation of the program; nothing more, nothing less.

"I'm right here, sir," it replied in a very deep and honored tone, bowing lowly before standing straight again. "I am sorry about the slight delay, but I was recalibrating some of the weapons for the ODSTs, as well as the Spartans' and their weaponry. You called for me, sir?"

"Geit, pull up a map of Ovid IX, will you?"

The centaur nodded and raised his hand, a small orb in his left hand, only to expand several thousands times. Enlarging himself a bit, Geit galloped towards Satoshi and Whitten, and stood there.

"Are we looking for anything in particular?" the AI asked, a hoof pawing the ground silently as he tilted his head to one side, his staff leaning lazily against his equestrian body.

"Can you mark the location of the last transmission we intercepted?" the chief requested, cooling down a little bit as another bottle of water was offered by a nearby second-class lieutenant.

"According to the pings, the signal was released from a five kilometer gorge near where the ancient rivers once flowed," it replied, a yellow thread marking out the river while a red dot marked the transmission point. "I estimate at least a frigate full for the opposition."

"Is there a frigate or carrier there right now?" the master chief petty officer inquired after downing another bottle.

"At the moment, they are hailing for one, but as you know, we are not familiar with their technology, so we do not know when they will arrive."

"Geit, you did translate the message as I ordered you to, yes?"

"I did the best I could, sir, but the best I could get from it is that they have found clues to the final Halo and want to get the resources they have gathered off this place and search for the final ring world."

Satoshi clenched his fist and paced restlessly.

"We cannot let them get to it…" the officer growled. "We must beat them to it!"

"Well, you have your mission now…" Admiral Whitten pointed out. "Find out what the Covenant found and slow down their progress in finding the location of the final Halo… You will need to only take five of your best men, and I will be sending several of the ODSTs with you. The Marines we will need when we get on to the final Halo…"

"Sir, we will be orbiting Ovid IX in three hours," the AI chirped as he held out his hand to collapse the holographic map. "I suggest that MCPO Satoshi begins preparations now. There are two Pelicans in the bay already being prepared for this operation, unless he wants to take the Longswords in."

"No, we'll be taking the dropships in," Satoshi replied as he looked at Geit. "Alert Andes, Will, Randall, and Tanoak to prep themselves and meet me in the docking bay in two hours. Tell them that we will need the spec-ops suits since we are making this quick."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?"

"Tell me what the Pelican's are holding…"

"One of the Pelicans is fitted with a troop carrier, so all of you will be able to fit into it, although for best performance of the dropship is a maximum of five Spartans while for the ODSTs, the maximum is fifteen with the troop carrier. If taking two Pelicans, one will be reserved for the Spartans only while the other is for the ODSTs and some ammunition. A third Pelican is carrying in a Scorpion and four Wolverines while a fourth is carrying in a Gauss Cannon Warthog and eight Wolverines for transportation. That should be enough for every member of the team, as well as give you guys enough firepower to suppress them."

"I'll need a map of the terrain and about how close we can land without alerting them…"

"The map has been downloaded into your suit and awaits your eyes. I have also put in a copy of myself to aide you in your mission. Anything else, sir?"

"Thank you, Geit. It's been a while since I had an AI work with me, but how many ODSTs are coming with me?"

"At least fifteen."

Satoshi shook his head.

"Sir, with all due respect, but that is too many. They will jeopardize the mission."

"Better that I send them down with you then to have them cooped up with your remaining Spartans," the admiral retorted. "The ODSTs are very wary of your men, and will cause war within the ranks. The best I can do is keep them separated for the time being."

"Then it would be better if I just brought in my own Spartans than have the ODSTs get in the way. They are not like us, not trained like us."

"I am sorry, Satoshi, but what I say goes."

After some consideration, and not wanting to disobey orders, the chief nodded.

"Very well, sir… I will take the men down and put down the operation, as well as find out what those Covenant brutes are hiding."

The admiral nodded and turned to face the looming planet.

"And Geit?"

"Yes, Master Chief Satoshi?"

"Can you get Tanoak to meet me in the Armory?"

"Done, sir. He is on his way."

The chief looked at the admiral and saluted.

"Good luck, chief," Whitten commended. "And, son?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Give them hell…"


	13. Chapter 12

**_DISCLAIMER _**

**_First off, DO NOT FLAME ME FOR THIS CHAPTER! This is one crucial chapter that developes Halsey for a later part of the story. I have been getting some hate mail from some Halo fans, and you know what? This is MY story... If you don't like it, fine... Just leave, ok? I am tired of dealing with these letters, and I will stop posting and delete this story from this site. So, unless you really want to see this happen, don't you dare send me notes about Halsey... She is still being developed in my own way!_**

**_Lt. Jessie Jay Falcon _**

**_

* * *

_**

**_No Longer Human?_**

**Time: **1400 hours

**Date: **March 30, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Dr. Halsey's Office, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

Dr. Halsey was in deep thought as she and the top best surgeons ONI could get their hands on were gathered around a large oak table, a hologram projector sitting in the middle with information on each part of the excruciating process of the SPARTAN-IV project. This was her third time doing it, and by now, one would think she was fine with it, but they were wrong. She had seen how Will, Fred, Kelly, and a few others from the SPARTAN-II project had regarded her, almost like a mother. Then again, she was the only mother they knew, and now, she was sentencing them to pain, and possibly death. She sighed as she mentally prepared herself. Only three of the doctors had done this before with her, but the others were completely newcomers to the project and needed to be taught quickly. The first part that appeared on the holographic panel was a skeletal structure of both a young male and a young female model.

"The first part will be the carbide ceramic ossification," Halsey explained as close-ups of the bone structure were enhanced with magnification, one half showing normal bone growth while the other was a bone from a Spartan. "This process uses advanced material grafting onto the skeletal structure to make bones virtually unbreakable, however, dislocation is still possible. Recommended coverage is not to exceed 3 percent total bone mass because of significant white blood cell necrosis. Specific risk for pre- and near-post pubescent adolescents: skeletal growth spurts may cause irreparable bone pulverization…"

Another image had been pulled up, revealing a horrifyingly disfigured human, if one could call it that anymore. Several murmured as they pointed to the bones that didn't even exist on a normal person, like extra appendages had been formed in the process. Others had the thought of these mutant structures destroying the soft organs inside the body cavity. After some more quiet consultations, the skeletons were covered with a red layer: the muscular system.

"The next step, which will be done a week after the ossification will be the muscular enhancement injections," she continued as a hypodermic appeared, and a complex chain of proteins appeared on the screen, each point of the sample labeled. "The protein complex is injected intramuscularly to increase tissue density and decrease lactase recovery time. Risk: 5 percent of test subjects experience a fatal cardiac volume increase. Do not inject this directly into the heart, or else we will lose them. We will need to do this 5 cc at a time so as not to overwhelm their bodies. By this stage, you will need to watch your patients closely. Once the ossification is complete, the muscular enhancements will certainly play a role. If the bones are not structured correctly the first time, then we will have no choice but to stop the process of your patient. Now, if you do make a mistake and go back, do keep in mind that what you do will greatly risk their lives. I prefer that we only do one-shots…"

This time, a video pulled up with several of the test subjects having seizures and then going into cardiac arrest, unable to be revived again. Several more murmurs brushed through the personnel, some taking notes while others were unsure if it was safe enough to continue.

"A week after, so that the bodies are not always continuously strained, the catalytic thyroid implant will be placed within their thyroid."

A small pellet appeared on the screen, where a molecule of the catalyst was being broken and analyzed.

"These platinum pellets contain a human growth hormone catalyst, which boosts the growth of skeletal and muscle tissues. Risks include, but are not limited to, rare instances of elephantiasis and suppressed sexual drive. As you know, once elephantiasis sets in, especially with the male specimens, we will have to… geld them… This has happened more recently in the SPARTAN-III project, as there was some miscommunication amongst the relay messengers, so they say. Because of this, we will be taking this one slowly, several hours at a time instead of the rushed thirty minutes. However, much like the past subjects, we have run into some issues of reproduction, such as unable to bear children as fertility rate goes down due to these suppressions. Also, some of the regular hormones are not produced correctly and might need supplementary injections to balance this out."

The screen split off into another branch, this time, focusing on the eye.

"The final two steps are very crucial as they are very risky. We will be working closely with the optical and neural teams for this one. Occipital capillary reversal allows for submergence and boosted blood vessel flow beneath the rods and cones of subject's retina. It produces a marked visual perception increase, meaning they will be able to see in the dark like nocturnal animals. This will be a great advantage for us when the Spartan are sent into undercover nighttime assignments. Risks include retinal rejection and detachment, as well as permanent blindness. The optical teams assigned to each of you will be conducting the surgery, and thus, will have reign when they do this process. Keep in mind that we don't want any bleeding when possible, so keep it down to a minimum."

The holograms changed one last time as the muscles and skeleton disappeared, only to be replaced by a light blue network of what represented the nervous system. Halsey took a quick drink from her half-empty cup and allowed the audience to stretch before continuing.

"The final process is the neural system. We will be super-conducting fabrication of the neural dendrites, which means alteration of bioelectrical nerve transduction to shielded electronic transduction. This will increase the subject's reflexes three-fold. There is also anecdotal evidence of marked increase in intelligence, memory, and creativity. Risk factors in this final process include significant instances of Parkinson's disease and Fletcher's syndrome."

Several of the doctors began to talk with one another, noting how they would go about with the process, as well as trying to keep their patients and themselves as safe and living as possible. The veterans had noticed that there were some improvements to some of the procedures, like adding time for recovery before moving on, and how some of the tools used had been greatly improved in ways that seemed to be nothing to the doctors but meant less time in bed for the patient to recover. However, a question did come up that no one had asked in any of the previous SPARTAN projects, one that struck Halsey very hard.

"Will they still be humans?" one of the newer doctors asked, tapping the end of his pen against the table. "From what I see, we are merely playing 'god' now to save a dooming race…"

"A dooming race that is our own…" Halsey hissed dangerously, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge of the table. "If we do not step in and play 'god' once in a while to help mankind, then who will, and what will happen to us? We are already losing men by the millions on the field…"

"Halsey, I don't see why we must condemn these children like this…" the doctor replied. "I find it unnecessary… Let them live their own life instead of subjecting them to the life of war."

"So, you would rather choose to doom mankind than to save it…?" one of the veteran doctors murmured. "Hartford, for your information, what we are doing could very much save mankind for good. If we had not continued with this, then humans would've been long dead by now."

"But these kids are our future… They are _the_ future… You send them out to the field, they'll end up like any other Marine out there!"

"Hold your tongue, Hartford!" another grunted. "The SPARTAN project has been successful three times already, and right now, we are counting on a fourth. If we can get these kids to become the super soldiers as their predecessors, then all we need to do is send one final wave against the Covenant and finish this once and for all. After that, the project will be laid to rest until it is needed again."

"But after the war, will they be able to live like humans? Think like humans? …Act like humans…"

"Dr. Hartford, these children are no mere, everyday children who are found in all school playgrounds," Halsey rebutted. "These children have been studied for a very long time, training for the time we are preparing for. They are humans regardless of what we do to them. What separates them from the others is the ability to repel the Covenant with more power than any one person has imagined. Some may not survive, but that is the risk they are taking to help and better the future you think we are losing."

"With all due respect, Dr. Halsey, but your SPARTAN projects only show that we are able to play god, not repel the opposing force."

"Is that so? Then explain Spartan-117's ability to destroy a whole Covenant armada on Halo Alpha and still survive to find Halo Delta, along with the knowledge that there were five other Haloes, four of which we have destroyed and are in search of the final?"

Dr. Hartford remained silent for a few minutes.

"…It was sheer luck…" he grumbled. "…Just sheer, dumb luck…"

The whole room went up in an uproar as Halsey climbed over the table, grabbing Hartford by the collar and slamming him into the wall, pinning him by the neck with her right arm. The officers came running in to see what the commotion was about and pried Halsey off the dumbstruck doctor. She growled as Hartford hid behind Jameson, one of the veteran surgeons.

"Hartford, if you want to live another day, you had better take back what you said…" Jameson whispered in a calm voice, seeing that the officers were having trouble trying to calm down the head doctor.

"Hell, I don't even know why they called me here…" Hartford replied. "I didn't want to be here in the first place! She is only turning these innocent kids into war machines!"

"Hartford, listen… We don't have that many good doctors left out there… The rest have been called into duty on other worlds, patching up Marines and ODSTs here and there. If you don't help us, then who will?"

"But we are condemning these kids to become less human and more machine!"

"What is better? To have more men dying and losing the war so that humanity will cease to exist, or have children to become tools of war so that we have a fighting chance?"

Hartford was silenced by Jameson's words and meekly sat in his chair while Halsey seemed to have calmed down, the officials letting her go slowly as she pulled away and straightened out her jacket. The Spartans were like her kids, and like any other good mother, she would never allow anyone to speak of them in such a way. She made her way back to the front of the room, where Minerva had just appeared on the hologram projector. The AI looked at everyone and bowed before turning to Dr. Halsey.

"The rooms are being prepared as we speak," she reported. "And I have overheard news from ONI while riding the network bands."

"Yes, go ahead…"

"It seems that several from the SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III projects are on their way to Ovid IX, ready to launch an attack on a Covenant resource base, as well as finding clues to where the final Halo is located. Geit aboard the _Forbidden Evolution_ has informed me that after this battle, they might be returning here for some recuperation time, as well as the repairs for their battle suits."

"Geit? You mean the centaur AI?"

"Yes, the very one that Program Engineer Tania Lucia created."

"Ah… Tania… She was always one of the best programmers I have worked with back then, but that's beside the point. What is the status on their suits?"

Minerva waved her hand in midair as another panel appeared; a list of thirty-five Spartan call names along with the status of each one. As she scrolled through the numbers, she recognized the officer at the very top of the list.

"How long will it be before they arrive?" the doctor asked, her voice somewhat concerned.

"It will be at least three months to jump from the Orion System to our current location, but they do not have the coordinates. Shall I give it to Geit?"

"No, for now, don't… We can't let them come here, yet… Not until SPARTAN-IV is complete…"

"But Dr. Halsey, they-"

"Minerva, that is an order… I cannot have SPARTAN-III here while SPARTAN-IV is still in progress… Do well to remember that…"

"Yes, ma'am…"

The Grecian AI disappeared, leaving the room quiet and lifeless. Of course, there was another reason to delaying their arrival. Halsey remembered the threat Spartan-384 gave her eight years ago, something about hunting her down if he found that she had abducted his one and only daughter for the project. She would rather live for a few more years and see that this project was finally completed before finally put to rest for the 'crime' she had done: murdering innocent kids… Halsey looked at each doctor eye to eye. Her face, although wrinkled and weathered through the stress and pain the war had cause, still had enough life to bring fire from the sky and burn the Covenant.

"We will start tomorrow at 1000 hours," the head doctor murmured. "The children are being prepared as we speak, fasting while we laser the incision marks for every part of the operation. By 0800 hours, they will be put under with anesthetics. The training that Mendez has put them through will cause the drugs to work slower as their bodies have become immune to a certain amount. How much I do not know, but we have a rough estimate that what can knock out an ODST for a few hours will get them good for at least the first process. Anesthetic specialists will be on-staff and will be monitoring the drugs as it enters their system. In the meantime, I ask that you all get as much rest as possible. The following weeks will hurt us more than it will hurt the patients as we will be the ones putting them through pain…"


	14. Chapter 13

_**Ice Wars**_

**Time: **0500 hours

**Date: **March 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Onboard Pelicans Echo-552, Echo-813, Echo-019, Echo-416, enroute to planet Ovid IX, Orion System

A group of Pelicans were flying low in the atmosphere, staying close to the ground to avoid enemy sights. The ODSTs had been separated into their own ship, murmuring as they hit each other as a way of riling each other up. They checked their weapons. All the battle rifles had been loaded with the extended clips, which meant more firing power for them. Their leader, Sergeant Thatcher 'Arrow' Günter, rapped his fist against the cockpit door.

"How much longer, private!" he growled through his helmet. "We should've arrived by now!"

"Thirty minutes to LZ, sir!" the pilot shouted over the engines. "Besides, we're following Echo-522. MCPO Satoshi is onboard that ship and he has leadership of this mission."

Günter muttered something under his breath about working with freaks and grunted to his men. They all got ready and sat still as they watched the view below slow down a bit.

The dropships landed at least fifty kilometers from their target, leaving them a good distance between themselves and the enemy. The Spartans had gotten out and were unloading the Wolverines while the ODSTs got the Scorpion. Satoshi glanced at his men while Tanoak had his foot on a box. The chief knew what was in it: two Fury tac-nukes that were enough to collapse whatever shaft the Covenant made into the ground, as well as take down a Covenant carrier.

Günter had taken charge of the Scorpion with four of his men while ten others took the Wolverines. Satoshi took command of the Warthog while Tanoak took gunner with his 'precious' cargo. Andes took the shotgun of the Warthog while Will and Randall took the Wolverines. The Pelican pilots watched as everyone was checking their equipment one last time. Satoshi moved up front while Günter took the back in the Scorpion, both flanked by the Wolverines. The ones accompanying Günter had been equipped with Jackhammer rocket launchers while those on the little Wolverines had to be guarded by the Scorpion's coaxial gun and the Warthog's gauss cannon, but each of them were armed to the teeth with their battle rifles and shotguns, as well as grenades and flash bombs of all sorts.

Each rider had one hand on the steering bar while the other held his or her assault or battle rifle. They knew that having the rockets would be nice, but they would have to stop to reload them. Just to have an extended clip for the rifles was good enough while they did a sweep. After checking the teams one more time, Satoshi motioned to Will and Randal to run ahead of the pack to make sure things were still cool. After waiting for them to get a good five hundred meter start, he brought his hands forward in a large arc, signaling for them to plow forward. The little Wolverines pulled away while the Warthog went ahead of them, leaving the Scorpion to trudge through the snow at a slow pace.

It took a good while for them to arrive at a hill overlooking what seemed to be a Forerunner structure, but it was unlike the others that had been recorded. It still had the same tall pillar as most of them had, but the base was very wide and highly ornate. One of Günter's men checked out the place through his sniper scope.

"Looks like we have several of those Covenant dogs guarding the entrance…" he murmured. "Place is heavily guarded by five stationary Shade turrets while we have five other turrets camped out on the top. Should we snipe them, sir?"

"Yes," Günter replied, checking through his scope. "The faster we kill them, the better-"

"No…" Satoshi butted in. "The snipers will only alert them that we're coming. We go for the stealth technique. I will take in the four others and we will go down into the shaft. Your job is to make sure that no Covenant force goes down or comes up with us after we find out what they have found down there."

"I bet they found their brains…" one of the ODSTs snickered, punching his buddy in the arm.

"Enough," the officer in charge growled as he turned towards two of his men. "Will and Randall, take the Wolverines and circle around the back. Once there, go into cloaked status and take out as many as you can that are on the outer ridge. Günter and I will rendezvous with you in fifty minutes."

"Yes, sir…"

The two ATVs went over the edge and streaked down the snow while the others moved slowly. The ODSTs grumbled amongst themselves, hating the fact that they had a Spartan as a commanding officer, Günter especially. Heading to another hill, Andes got out of the shotgun and checked through the binoculars. The operation was a success and the two Spartans were in the turrets below.

"They've secured the area, chief," Andes reported. "They're outside our contact range, but they are giving a hand signal to say that it's safe."

"Then let's move in…"

The tank moved ahead as the little ATVs buzzed away, leaving the Warthog behind. Satoshi gripped the wheel stiffly as his Spartan jumped back in. Tanoak noticed this and opened a private channel as they moved in.

"Sir, something wrong?" he asked in a hush tone.

"It's Günter…" their chief replied. "I don't like how he is taking this… I swear he is hostile towards us as any other ODST…"

"Forget about him and just concentrate on the mission, chief. He's only here with his team to be our fallback shooters. Besides, it would be better if they were down here with us than to be up on the ship with the other thirty Spartans. You very well know that we are able to overwhelm them even though it doesn't seem like it."

"I am very sure of that, but…"

"Chief, I know you are worried about them, but you have to know that we are in this together. No more lone-wolf stuff, ok?"

"You're right… C'mon…"

He revved the engines and plowed through the snow banks, finally meeting up with the others. Tanoak came down with one of the small packages while Andes slipped out and checked indoors with Will and Randal before signaling that it was ok. The chief walked over and saw that an elevator was waiting for them. He looked at Günter and the ODSTs he was leading.

"You guys watch the door and alert us if the Covenant ship arrives," he commanded as the other Spartans waiting on the alien lift. "If we are not back within fifteen minutes of their arrival, take the second tac-nuke and arm it. We'll manage another way out if we are correct in the way they map the place."

"Whatever…" Günter muttered. "If you die, we arm and run… Yeah… yeah…"

"I expect you to follow through with it…" Satoshi growled as Tanoak and Randall were unloading one of the bombs and placed them into a shoulder pack to be carried down with them while the other stayed.

"Look, just get your damned armored rear into the hole and get out with whatever the brass has you searching for, got it? I'm not gonna sit around like some lap dog."

The chief threateningly stood up and raised his battle rifle, pointing the nozzle at the streaked face.

"I will not tolerate such insubordinate and rude behavior from you, petty officer…"

Tanoak and Andes quickly jumped in to intervene and pulled Satoshi away before any more trouble could be caused. Geit II was translating the codes to move the elevator as the two spat back and forth. William got in between them, his battle rifle pointed at Günter while his free hand was held up in Satoshi's direction.

"Ok, calm down, you two…" he said over the speakers. "We're here to work together, ok? Let's not make this any more complicated than it needs to be."

Several of the ODSTs only grunted to one another, and nodded. With a sigh, Randall went back to his squad and stood there as Satoshi managed to get away from Andes and Tanoak, standing in the corner of the elevator. The platform shifted up slightly, and down they went in the dark shaft.

"Günter, we are counting on you," came Will's voice over the headset. "We'll be back as soon as possible."

"Yeah, whatever…" the ODST leader murmured as he looked at his men. "Let's secure this place so that those whiny wind-up toys of Dr. Halsey won't bitch at us…"

The troopers went out and brought in the Shades and turrets while also counting up the supplies.

Meanwhile, the four Spartans were looking at their leader, very concerned at what had happened earlier.

"Chief, something wrong?" Will asked as the AI was doing last-minute preparations to their suits and weapons.

"No…" he replied softly. "Nothing's wrong…"

"Sir, with all due respect, it isn't like you to burst like that…" Randall pointed out, watching his gauge go up and down as the computerized being was checking the HUD system.

Satoshi sighed and turned away as he turned off his speakers and talked with Geit privately.

"Geit, can you access my private files for me?"

"With your permission, of course," the AI replied, fixing some software bugs. "What is it that you wish to see?"

"Access my person pictures folder and find a picture of a girl no older than six with her mother."

Geit opened these files and displayed them on the HUD.

"Third row, fifth image…"

The image enlarged itself on the panel. There was the lush forest of EC-468, and there, standing between two fir trees, was a woman trying to coax a young girl out of the tree.

"Play the video…"

"Accessing video file…"

* * *

…_**BEGIN VIDEO FEED**_…

**Time: **1013 hours

**Date: **April 23, 2554 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **EC-468, planet Oki VI, Tokugawa System

"Neala, please come out of the tree, dear…" a woman pleaded. "You're going to hurt yourself…"

"No!" the girl giggled, hanging on to the branch upside-down. "Me a monkey!"

"Dear, please come down! Satoshi, can you help me here? She is your daughter, too, not to mention that she takes after you!"

"I'm coming," a male voice replied, chuckling as he looked up at the tree. "I'll get her down, love."

"Eww…" the girl teased, swinging her legs freely in the wind. "Mommy and daddy lovey-dovey…"

"Now, Neala… You know better than to tease your mommy and daddy like that," the male rebuked. "Besides, you'll learn about that when you are older."

The girl stuck her tongue out, and continued to giggle as she swung gently like a living pendulum.

"You are so stubborn," the mother murmured. "And now she's acting like you!"

"Don't worry, Cassandra… I'll get her out…"

The view shifted a little as the person stood up and slowly proceeded to the tree.

"What happened here, Neala?" he asked, still a good distance away. "I thought you were a Spartan, not some little brown animal who eats bananas and sits in the trees all day long…"

"I am a Spartan!" she squealed. "And watch me jump like one too!"

The girl jumped, and the camera moved in closer as panting took over the audio. The woman screamed. With a dive, the child was caught, landing on the chest of the viewer. With a heavy 'oomph,' he had some wind knocked out of him, only to have the woman run over.

"Satoshi!" she gasped. "Dear, are you ok? Neala! What did I tell you?"

"Daddy caught me!" she laughed, sliding down his chest and straddling his stomach as he sat up.

"It's ok, Cassandra…" he laughed. "Don't need to worry about me!"

"Thank the Creator that both of you are not hurt…" she murmured, hugging the two of them. "I am just glad that we are together…"

…_**END VIDEO FEED…**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Sir? Sir, are you ok?"

Will rested his hand on the chief's shoulder, shaking him gently. Satoshi looked up, only to see that the rest of his men had scattered while bodies of Grunts and Elites littered the cold floor, the dogs drowning in their own blood and methane with their bellies full of lead. The yellow lights on his HUD were moving slowly as he stepped off the lift and asked for a sit-rep.

"Will, what's going on?"

"The elevator's stopped and we were attacked but several Grunts and Jackals, but the area is now clear," the gunner reported. "The others are saying that it's good to move in… Tanoak is holding one of the tact-nukes while the other is with Günter."

"Ok then…" he murmured, heading towards the door. "From here on out, until we find what is needed, be on high alert. We don't know what this place holds, or what the Covenant are intending. Don't waste your ammo. Try to go for one-shot kills if possible, and if not, ram them on the head."

"Sir, yes, sir!" they all shouted.

"Andes, you take point with Will. Randall, take center. Tanoak and I will bring in the rear. We'll cycle every so often so as to conserve our equipment."

The Spartans nodded and assembled the formation quickly. As they leaned against the wall with their weapons armed, Andes and Will were at the edges of the doorway, motioning to each other for a few seconds before jumping into the corridor. Nothing. All was clear, and they moved deeper into the underground structure. After a few minutes, they had gotten the confirmation. Randall followed first, then Satoshi and Tanoak. They moved swiftly and quietly, using their cloaking devices when needed. It wasn't until they reached the lowest level of this Forerunner structure did their traveling AI decided to speak up.

"Chief Satoshi," Geit-II whispered. "I am detecting Covenant movement about five hundred meters in your one o'clock position. There are also high levels of radiation in the area. Levels of radiation match those of a Covenant weapon known as the Fuel Rod Cannon. Extreme caution must be exercised when approaching the enemy."

"What sort of enemy are we talking about?" Tanoak asked. "The Grunts with the cannons, or the giant twelve-foot Hunters with their built-in cannons?"

"I'm afraid both," the AI replied. "But along with the Hunters are also several Brutes."

"You mean wet mop rags," Randall jested, trying to lighten the mood. "But seriously, that's our opposition? I was hoping to get some target practice with their jittery drones or their cowardly Jackals…"

"Hush, Will…" Satoshi hissed, even though he was laughing inside as a way of relieving himself, but even then, this was a dangerous mission. "Tanoak, stay here with Andes… Randal, Will, and I will go ahead and clear out the place. You have your snipers?"

"Yes, sir!" both gunnery sergeants replied.

"Good… Andes and Tanoak, you guys will have to keep up the defenses here on your own until I give the signal to move in. Everyone have their orders?"

They all acknowledged via the HUD system.

"Very good…"

"Chief, I've detected a ledge where you might be able to snipe off each of the opposing forces from above. However, there are several Drones and Jackals guarding the entrance to the stairwell.

The chief looked at Randall, knowing that he was smiling behind that helmet of his.

"Ok, then. We'll take them out quickly and quietly, and then take care of the interior. In the meantime, I'll need you to get as much information as you can on this Forerunner structure."

"As you command, chief."

With a final nod, Satoshi and his two gunners went off towards the stairwell, ready to bring war on this forsaken planet.


	15. Chapter 14

**_Hail to the Chief_**

**Time: **0930 hours

**Date: **March 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Medical Wing, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

Word had come that the Master Chief, Spartan-117, had arrived on Reach-II for upgrades on his suit. He had gotten out of the Longsword to meet with Dr. Halsey and was promptly escorted to his quarters to have his armor removed. It was a rather long process, but as soon as he was out, he felt very vulnerable. That suit, the MJOLNIR Mark VII, was like a second skin to him, and to be out of it exposed him. He sighed heavily as he put on his freshly pressed wool suit and began to look around. He had not been down here before, but it felt familiar to him. He wandered the hallways, only to end up in the medical ward of the research facility. He looked into the window, only to seemingly recognize what was going on. After all, it was the same thing that he went through that turned him into what he is right now.

Four beds stood in each room as he walked past them, two on each side. He could see figures lying on them, their fair bodies marked with the darker incision lines meant to be used in the process. He remembered his time on Reach, where they had done the same thing for him. He sighed softly and he continued to look through each observation window until someone approached him from behind. He quickly turned around, only to snap into a salute.

"At ease…" Dr. Halsey gestured with her hand. "No need to keep the formalities here, John…"

The Spartan looked through the glass after relaxing a bit, his face etched with lines of questions that he would not dare to ask, but Catherine had an idea of what was going on in his mind.

"They are the new generation of soldiers…" she explained. "After eight years, it is now their turn to become what you have become…"

"A Spartan…?" his deep voice murmured.

Halsey nodded as she glanced at her palm unit now and then, making sure things were doing according to plan.

"Yes, a Spartan…"

"How many lives were used…?"

"John, you don't need to know about that… What matters is that you're back, and within six months, you'll have a fresh team."

The Master Chief lowered his face to the ground and shook his head. He never really was used to Dr. Halsey using his birth name, as many would just call him 'Chief' or by his call name, Spartan-117. Another thing that he would never get used to was the fact that he would never have a team like the one he had again…

"…No…" he replied softly. "…No one can replace my team…"

His eyes gazed about the room, his sharp eyes reading the monitors next to each child. He then noticed one that seemed very… unique…

"That girl…" he began, pointing to the one farthest away in a room of three. "There is something about her…"

Halsey looked and smiled.

"Ah… Her…" the doctor replied quietly, pulling out two clean-suits from the rack. "Actually, since you are here, would you like to meet her…?"

"Meet her…? Why?"

"Please, John… It's something that is the past, but I think it is best if you did. She is currently a squad leader here, quickly moved up in the ranks, like someone I know… Even Mendez thinks that she will eventually reach your status, yet there is something about her that keeps her from doing so…"

"Is that so…?"

John slipped into the biohazard suit and followed Halsey into the room. The row of three beds each had a child, each marked with incision lines as to where they would be operated to begin the process. The girl was breathing hard, fighting off the sedative. The surgeons quickly moved aside as John stood at the edge of the bed. The girl looked up and hissed a bit.

"I want you to meet someone," Halsey spoke softly. "468, this is Spartan-117, otherwise known as the Master Chief…"

* * *

The Master Chief? This was a dream… It had to be… The last I heard, he had been battling in the far reaches of space, chasing after the Covenant Prophets. However, as a young child, I had always wanted to meet him, and yet, here I was, in a weakened state, unable to salute. I was ashamed that I could not stand up and salute, as is the formal standard of greeting an official of higher ranks. 

I could feel his eyes wandering over my marked body, probably remembering when he was a child and put through this same task. My mind was hazy as I tried to keep my eyes open, recording his visage into my memory so that I had something to go back to, a picture of the one whom had inspired me. My biological parents had been pushed far behind into the darkest parts of my memory, locked away and never to be seen. The only parents I knew now were Chief Petty Officer Mendez as my father, Doctor Catherine Halsey as my mother, the staff as my uncles and aunts, and the others I had grown up and trained with who were close to my age as brothers and sisters. Outside of this group, they were strangers. It was only when our 'father' told us about these outsiders that we were able to differentiate between friends and foes. For all we know, anyone could be an enemy of the UNSC and human race. It was then that we were given permission to seek and destroy.

I looked up at the man who had destroyed a Covenant armada. The power he had overwhelmed my mind. Just the look on his face said that he had seen much death of both friends and foes. I tried to smile, but I knew he had a feeling of what I was trying to convey. Now, I could die if I wanted to, but something was holding me back from doing so… I don't know what, but something was… I know I was scared, but I could not show, but somehow, it escaped my lips.

"I am afraid…" I managed to say. "I am very afraid…"

I could see his eyes behind the plastic panel, a pair of grayish blue eyes that has seen many wars… But, behind all that, there was a calmness that eased me.

"Hang in there, soldier…" he encouraged. "You can pull through out of this… You don't need to be afraid, even though you are. You just need to believe in yourself and hope for the best…"

* * *

John murmured something under his breath and was about to take off when his sharp ears caught a whisper. He looked back down, only to see the girl, struggling to lift her hand up without moving the needle that had pierced it, an IV drip hanging above. 

"Sir…?" a weakened reply whispered.

"Yes, squad leader…?"

"What is this test…? Is this part of becoming a soldier...?"

"…"

That was almost the exact same thing that he had asked to Mendez when he was going through the operation, and he remembered the reply he had gotten from the doctor.

"…To survive…" he replied. "…To survive…"

Halsey rested her hand on his shoulder, indicating that they should leave and that he should return to the field as soon as possible. After all, the war was still going on so as long as the last Halo was still out there, and they needed to destroy it before the Covenant got it. He stood up and looked at the girl one more time as she finally relaxed and succumbed into deep stasis. John quietly left as the doctors took over and began the rest of the preparations before starting the operation.

As soon as they were out the door, the clean-suits came off and the Chief stared back into the room from the observation window.

"She… She reminded me of myself…" he replied.

"Yes, in a way she does," Halsey answered. "Do you think she would end up in your squad?"

"Probably not, but if she did, it would be interesting," he murmured, putting on the suit jacket. "However, it is best if we do not meet again. After all, we are all bound to our duties and should not be strayed by relationships, save those with our troops…"

One of the researchers came in and announced that the final preparations to the suit was complete, and that they were waiting for him to gear up before sending him out again. With a salute, the Chief disappeared down the corridor, leaving Halsey with her thoughts as the time drew near to being the operation. She closed her eyes and then entered her office. Monitors lined the whole wall, each camera on each child.

Indeed, she had subjected the remaining 35 to this cruel process of creating super soldiers, but she still felt some remorse for doing so. They were now 16 year olds, each as fit as a young Olympic athlete, if not even more so. She put on her headset and gave one last sigh before she turned on the system.

"All surgeons to their positions…" she announced, her eyes scanning over the sedated children. "Let Project: SPARTAN-IV commence…"


	16. Chapter 15

**_1 + 1 ! 11_**

**Time: **0780 hours

**Date: **March 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Forerunner structure interior, planet Ovid IX, Orion System

Blood and methane splattered against the wall as bodies fell under the heavy fire of the MA5Bs and M55s, and the explosions of the Jackhammers. A rocket whizzed by as a pair of Hunters jumped to dodge the projectile, only to be killed by the two gunnery sergeants armed with snipers. Grunts ran about, arms flailing as their larger counterparts had been killed by the 'demons.' Some stayed behind to fire their pistols as the Jackals protected them with their plasma shields, firing their own weapons at the threat. The Spartans mowed them down with such a force that bodies continued to fly as they pushed forward, heading for the control room.

Satoshi had led the frontal assault with raw power, his mind on the goal of getting in and out fast. They had easily crushed the Jackal barricades with grenades while walls of Brutes were turned into nothing but cinders. The wave was terrible as Elite after Elite fell to their knees, Tanoak easily killing them with the blades they dropped. As the four stopped at the vast door watching their surroundings, the team leader stood at the control panel and pulled out the chip containing the AI. The computerized being entered the system and looked about as soon as the disk was locked in place.

"Chief?" the program chirped on his headset. "You might want to get your heavy weapons ready… They have several Brutes with high-velocity weapons."

"As in missiles?" Tanoak asked, readying a length of twine that held several frag grenades by their pins on one end. "I say we just blow this joint, literally."

Satoshi nodded to Tanoak and motioned for him to ready the explosive bolo.

"Geit, can you get the door to open on my mark?"

"I am in the systems, but it will take at least a minute to get the door open all the way."

"We just need to open it a little bit, enough for Tanoak to get his explosives inside."

"Calculating time, velocity, and projectile trajectory… Once override occurs, you will have five seconds to throw it in. It is a one-shot deal, so you will need to perfect it."

"Give Tanoak your calculations," the chief replied with a grin. "I'm sure he'll be able to pull something off."

"Ha-ha, Satoshi…" the corporal laughed lowly as he stepped back a few meters. "You know my math skills are lacking compared to William's and Randall's."

"Hey, not our fault you fell asleep when Athena was teaching us math!" Andes teased. "You were always the one to stay up all night, messing with your cherry bombs that you set off during our encounter with the 152nd Battalion!"

"Ok, if it weren't for my smoking cherry bombs, we wouldn't have escaped, mind you… Who was the one who was always in the trees instead of being down on the ground to help fight? Besides, it made them smelling like skunk for how many days…?"

"Don't know, but it was strong enough for Camp Recluse to smell it, and that's saying a lot since they were living on the other side of the mountain!" William snickered. "Oh man… Those were the days…"

Satoshi looked up as Tanoak found his spot in the open, facing the locks. He gave a thumbs-up signal as the other four scattered to the sides, one gunnery sergeant on each side while a supporting shooter was ready for back up.

"Mark!" Satoshi commanded, the AI working furiously as it redesigned part of the Forerunner program. "Tanoak!"

The corporal ran forward and swung the live bolo over his head, only to tug on it suddenly and send the 'pineapples' flying through the crack. He quickly ducked behind a pillar as he pulled out his rocket launcher. He made sure that the backpack he had was still intact as this was carrying the nuke for the station.

The Brutes behind the door roared as the high explosives blew, sending both beast and machinery flying. Without further hesitation, the doors fell open and rockets went flying by as the two supporting gunners ran in, covered by the bullets from the gunnery sergeants. Jackals flew out of nowhere with the help of the Drones and landed lightly as they opened fire with their plasma pistols. Jumping backwards, the two supporters each threw a grenade into the air, only to have a rocket come in contact with them. The explosives specialist yelled as the projectiles collided. Smoke filled the area as a loud bang deafened everyone, even the Spartans inside their suits. The force was so great that it threw the two gunner supports clear into the air while wiping out the rest of the opposition.

"CHIEF!" Tanoak shouted, dropping his launcher and running over to the two stunned soldiers. "Andes! Satoshi! Speak to me!"

The two snipers quickly finished the remaining insects and checked the room for any hidden survivors. As soon as they were satisfied, they ran back for their fallen comrades and pulled them into the command center, Geit closing the doors behind them.

Randall helped William roll the two on to their back and took off their helmets to get a better look. Both seemed to have been knocked unconscious, but their vitals were still strong. Tanoak opened his emergency pack and pulled out a small bottle, uncorking it and pouring a small amount of its contents into their mouths. A few seconds later, both sputtered and coughed as they heaved themselves into the upright position, gagging as the bitterness numbed their tongues.

"Ok, who did that!" the ever-quiet Andes barked, his shouts echoing off the concrete walls as Satoshi reached into his pack for a canteen to down some water to wash away the bitterness. "If I find out whoever used that bottle on me, I cannot guarantee that I won't put that person in a headlock and pour the entire bottle down his throat! Next time you want to wake me up, punch me awake!"

Tanoak had slipped the bottle away and was innocently looking through his pack, checking his charges as Andes glared at each of them. Randall and William only laughed as their corporal gave their explosives expert a cold hard glare. Satoshi chuckled as he got up and picked up his helmet, heading into the control room.

The centaur had just appeared on the hologram podium as lines of code scrolled across its translucent body. The others gathered around and stared at the holographic star chart.

"Find anything, Geit?" Satoshi asked as he motioned for Andes and Tanoak to set up the tact-nuke.

"I'm searching through the UNSC star chart system, but I am not finding any matches for this one," the AI replied. "This could very well be a region that humans have yet to explore. I will need to get access from ONI's computer system and see if they have anything that matches this."

"Then gather up the information and whatever else you can get. Tanoak, you have the bomb set?"

There was no answer, but some scuffling, followed by the clunking of two titanium ceramic helmets.

"Guys?" Randall asked. "Tanoak? Andes?"

He turned around with the other two to see the progress of the explosives, only to watch Andes forcing the bottle into Tanoak's gritted mouth.

"LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT, WISEASS!" the corporal shouted.

"HEY! IT WAS ONLY TO WAKE YOU GUYS UP!" the other corporal gagged, forcing an arm through the crook of the other, trying to pry himself free. "NOT MY FAULT THAT THE BRASS ORDERED FOR SUCH STRONG TASTES FOR SMALL DOSAGES!"

"AS IF YOUR MATH WAS NOT POOR ENOUGH, YOU HAD TO TRY AND POISON ME WITH THAT STUFF!"

"WATCH IT, MR. DAYDREAMER! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOZES OFF DURING TACTICAL TRAINING!"

"Guys!" William hollered over his speakers, although he was thoroughly enjoying the scene. "We've got to get that bomb set up and clear out before the party arrives!"

Tanoak shoved Andes away, grabbed the nuke before his comrade could figure out what happened, and ran down a corridor to plant the bomb.

"OY! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" the corporal yelled, chasing after the nuisance of a Spartan.

The gunnery sergeants and the chief burst out laughing, leaning on each other for support.

"Oh man, did you see how Andes flipped out?" Randall chuckled, shouldering his sniper after reloading his second to last clip.

"I haven't seen him that angry since Augustus sneaked that lizard into his boot back on Reach-II!" William coughed, chocking from his fits of glee while taking off his helmet to wipe away a tear. "Ah… Those were the days…"

"Yeah…" came a whisper. "Those were the days…"

The two subordinates became quiet as they looked at the now solemn leader, then they knew why…

During their training on Reach-II, Augustus was one of many who had trouble adjusting to the sudden change in the environment, as well as the new augmentations that were mandatory to the SPARTAN project, but with the help of Satoshi and his now Squad Rising Sun, he caught up quickly and was one of the top ranking Spartans. It wasn't until they were being separated into groups and headed off into different parts of the galaxy. About two years later, a roster report had been sent out of all the Spartans. To his dismay, their friend was termed 'MIA' on the list, along with fifteen others, some from SPARTAN-II and some from SPARTAN-III.

"MIA or not, he was a fine soldier," Satoshi commented as he looked at the corpses of the Brutes and the fragmented exoskeletons of the Drones. "I only wish that, if ever, I can meet him one more time before the final Halo is found. I know he's a survivor, and thus, he will survive, whether physically or in memory. To Augustus!"

"To Augustus!" the two echoed with their rifles raised just as a battered Tanoak and satisfied Andes appeared.

The chief looked up and raised a brow.

"Tanoak, don't tell me Andes beat you up," he smirked, glancing at the working AI now and then.

"More like I think he dislocated my jaw…" he murmured, rubbing his chin while moving his jaw back and forth. "Nuke's been planted though. We have thirty minutes to get out of here, so I suggest we hightail it out of here."

"Aw man…" William whimpered. "And I wanted a shot at those clay pigeons…"

"We'll become clay pigeons if we don't get out of here…" Andes replied, cracking his neck and knuckles. "Besides, I don't think Günter likes to play the waiting game…"

"Let him wait all we want…" Randall growled, watching the white spots on the hologram twinkle. "You saw how he treated us… No respect whatsoever…"

"That's to be expected from the ODSTs," the chief replied. "You saw how Ackerson was when he was meeting with Dr. Halsey that one day…"

"You mean when she sprayed the more potent biofoam in his face and Billy decided to be rash and messed with his 'Hog?" William laughed, watching Satoshi transfer the disk containing the AI into his suit's disk dock.

Geit appeared in the corner of all the units' HUDs and pawed the invisible ground.

"It seems the guests have arrived early," the centaur reported, tapping into Günter's video feed and displaying it on the main viewscreen. "Looks like we'll need to get up there before they decide to set off their nuke."

"Roger that, Geit!" Tanoak shouted, strapping on his helmet. "Awaiting orders, chief!"

"Then let's lock and load, and move out!" Satoshi shouted, leading the way. "Geit, show the timer on the HUD. We'll need to know when that thing is going to blow."

"On it sir…" the AI replied, a green counter appearing below the video feed. "We have approximately twenty-five minutes to clear the area. No signs of Covenant movement up ahead. Given the circumstances, it should only take us about fifteen minutes to reach the upper levels. That is, if Günter and his team are doing their job and keeping the Covenant at bay."

The team jogged past the now rotting bodies, flesh and blood caking and turning into mush. Strangely, for such a cold place, dead materials were rotting faster than normal. Whatever was in the air, none of them wanted to stay long enough to see what it was.

* * *

"YOU STINKIN' BITCHES!"

Plasma and bullets were exchanged back and forth as the ODSTs held down the base. Dead Covenant units littered the white plain, purple blood turning the ground a poisonous hue.

"WATCH THE RIGHT FLANK, UTRECHT!" Günter shouted from his position in the Scorpion. "YOU HAVE ELITES COMING IN ON YOUR 3:00!"

Utrecht turned to his right and let loose a salvo of bullets, tearing into their energy shields, pelting their armor, and finally eating away their flesh. One had managed to break away and lunged forward with its energy sword, the blade searing the human flesh.

"UTRECHT!" a fellow fighter shouted, aiming for the murderer. "DIE YOU FUCKTARD!"

The Covenant was moving in fast, and Günter had a feeling that the Spartans had not survived. He looked over to his second lieutenant.

"Arm that bastard and load up!" the commander barked. "We're moving out!"

"Sir! Yes, sir!"

The lieutenant disappeared behind a pillar with the second bomb while the others were mounting their vehicles, still keeping up the fight.

"Sir! We have 10 minutes to get out of here!"

"Then let's roll out! If those Spartans are still alive, they should be able to make it out on their own without our help!"

"But, sir!"

"No 'buts' unless you want to be demoted, lieutenant!"

"Yes, sir…"

"Now, move out! Double time!"

The ODSTs loaded up into the chief's Warthog and ATVs and rolled out, cutting a pathway back to the LZ. The Wraiths were on the ground, firing bolts of plasma at the human vehicle, sending it into a swirling path into a snow bank. The soldiers jumped out and continued to fire, not letting up.

"Looks like we die here then…" the ODST commander muttered, accepting the fact that they were not going to make it out alive. "Good work, men… It has been a pleasure working with you…"

* * *

The Spartans passed the Jackal pits and crossed the Elite bridges, climbing over the Hunter hills.

"We have ten minutes to evacuate the facility," Geit reported. "And it seems that Günter has armed the second bomb."

Tanoak swore under his breath.

"They think we're dead…" the corporal growled as they jumped on to the lift as it was activated.

"Well, they thought wrong…" Satoshi replied. "What's the timer on their bomb?"

"Less than ten minutes, chief," the AI answered, now growing a slight green to show that he was uneasy. "And the ODSTs have at least one casualty."

"Damn it…"

The lift took at least two minutes to reach the top, but all they found were dead bodies surrounding the abandoned turrets. The Scorpion had been damaged, but was still usable, as well as several ATVs. What the chief was noticed was that his Warthog was missing.

"Looks like the cowards left…" Randall murmured. "Chief, we better run for it now. We have less than eight minutes to meet back at the LZ. Given that, the ODSTs are probably also there."

William stepped to the front of the cave, only to shout.

"Chief! The ODSTs are right there and they're under heavy fire!"

Satoshi ran over and looked through his scope. Indeed, there were the Helljumpers, or what was left of them, still fighting. He gave a low growl and jumped into the tank. The other four took the ATVs while loading up on the rockets that had been left behind. Tanoak stared at the nuke and also took that with him.

"TANOAK! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!" Andes roared in fear. "YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE US KILLED!"

"Killed? Not us, but the Covenant," he replied, tying a heavy roped on to a rocket and loading the projectile into the tank. "Chief, think you can aim it at the warship?"

"Wait ahead of you!"

Geit was working out the calculations while they moved out, the main cannon aimed at the warship the Covenant called _Wrath of the Gods_. The other end of the rope was secure on the handle of the bomb.

"Fire when ready!"

"FIRING!"

The whole tank shook and recoiled as the projectile flew in a straight trajectory for the ship. The bomb was dangling behind it, but for now, they had other issues to deal with. Running the Scorpion at full speed, the Spartans barreled their way through the masses, crushing the large elites under the heavy machinery. Günter looked up in what seemed to be a mix of anger and gratitude.

"By Jove… They're still alive…" one of the Jumpers murmured. "Those sons of bitches are still alive…"

"Indeed, but that doesn't make them better than us…! OPEN FIRE ON THE COVENANT!"

Heavy shells broke the ground, leaving the earth to bleed. The grunts began to retreat as did the other units when they heard that a bomb, or more specifically, a nuke, had been planted. What they did not know what that the fire they took to the ship also attached a nuke to their aft.

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Satoshi ordered. "I DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE WHEN THOSE BOMBS GO OFF!"

The remaining ODSTs, now valuing their life more than anything, got into whatever was left of the Warthog and trudged ahead as the Spartans in the Scorpion and ATV gave cover fire. The Covenant units were boarding their dropships and made haste to make it into the atmosphere while the Spartans and ODSTs headed for their extraction point. Neither faction wanted to die, yet neither wanted the other to live. Phantoms dove on to the fleeing group, launching balls of plasma as bullets and high-caliber shells peppered, if not damaged, their purple hull.

As they drew closer and closer to their pickup area, two sleek black jets dove on to the unsuspecting teams, launching Shiva missiles at the pursuers. The tank and ATVs rolled from the shockwave, splitting the damaged Warthog into several pieces. All the men tumbled and had their insides rattled a one of the Longswords dove low to give them cover as the second flew for the kills. Satoshi recovered quickly and checked on his Spartans as they shook off the shock, running towards the battered ODSTs. These higher-classed Marines were tough, but even they had some flaws. A few had broken bones while others, like Günter, were just scratched up in minor ways but also had large wounds from their previous bout.

Medics from the Longsword jumped out and helped the Spartans get the wounded into the holding bay as the firefight continued, missiles bursting against the plasma bolts. The Covenant ships were generally faster, but they did not seem to have the explosive power the human weapons had, especially with the Phantoms. As soon as everyone was in, Andes ran to the cockpit and yelled at the pilot.

"Get us out of here, now!" he barked. "Those nukes are bound to blow any second!"

Without a second thought, the pilot quickly closed the hatch and took for the atmosphere, its brethren following behind as the Phantoms retreated to their mother ship.

"Hurry!"

"I'm afraid I'm already setting the engines past maximum and any more will cause damage to the ship, if not kill us when we enter space!" the pilot reported. "Systems are already overclocked!"

"Engines reaching critical in five minutes," Geit warned. "However, the nuke is set to go off in three. Engaging jump system… Calculating random coordinates as stated in Cole Protocols… Partial jump in one minute…"

The pilot in the other ship had gotten the same configurations and left it to autopilot, letting the AI take control of both ships as the two disappeared into slip space, leaving behind nothing but a shattered Covenant warship, a crumbled Forerunner structure, and hundreds of various Covenant bodies floating in space…


	17. Chapter 16

_**Dog, Cat, and Rat**_

**Time: **1315 hours

**Date: **May 15, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Spartan Barrack 23C, Camp Recluse, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

It had been a week since we were able to move freely as we did before, but we were not allowed to train again for a while. During our initial release, we spent much time learning to readjust ourselves to the new enhancements, as well as learning to move all over again. I had some trouble as my body was slowly adjusting to the enhancements. Not as fast, but at least I was on the road to recovery. Kitty was quite thrilled as she was able run faster, turning and sprinting with great efficiency, and able to land so deftly, it was nearly impossible for our improved hearing to pick her up. I could tell that Tommy was having a rather interesting time when he had stepped out of his barracks one day to catch another rat for his gross and ever-growing collection of rattails. Ugh… I could never get that thought out of my mind…

About three weeks after the operation, we were able to go back to our studies, doing some physical toning here and there under micro-gravity therapy. Kitty was the second to recover while Tommy was the first. I was the last one as I was also still recovering from torn hamstrings at the same time due to a minor mistake during the operation. Thankfully, it wasn't too damaging, or else I would've also washed out of the augmentation procedures. Then again, after that operation, only forty-five of us survived. We were considered the strongest of the pack. However, even in the remaining forty-five, ten of us were no longer useful physically, but they would still help serve the government in another form: the form of intelligence. I did not like watching the officials of ONI take them away, but I knew it was a safer place for them than anywhere else. Tunis, one of Tommy's closer friends, was one of these ten, and I felt a deep sense of pain as my teammate watched him disappear into the UNSC transport. Tunis' mind was still intact. However, during the ossification process, his bones had been deformed, rendering him unable to move. I heard that the doctors did everything they could to stop the development, but it was too late, and they couldn't go back. Such were just one of the many risks involved in this. We all knew, yet we stepped up to the challenge. Now, it was time for the next level.

Everyone was very eager to get back out, but since CPO Mendez and Dr. Halsey, our 'parents,' had ordered us not to go straight back into training, we were forced to find ways of preoccupying ourselves before we were allowed back on to the field. However, Tommy had other plans.

'Wolf boy,' as I had properly nicknamed him for his animalistic behavior, had been extremely bored, complaining while I was still in recovery. Kitty made haste to silence him, only to cause more trouble. That was when I told him to take it outside and go catch his rats. That was a big mistake. He ran out with glee while Kitty was sitting at the foot of my bed, horrified at such a suggestion.

"Permission to speak…?" my young comrade asked, pulling out the medical kit to change a bandage that was affixed to the base of my neck.

I blinked at her and smiled. She was always the one to follow the rules and was always formal, even when we were alone. Only some times did I catch her not being formal. At those times, I would just laugh at her, for fun of course.

"You know we don't need to be formal here… Go ahead…"

"Neala, just what were you thinking!" she squealed. "He's just going to pull off the tails on those poor rats and add them to his collection!"

"Well, better that than to have him indoor and whooping about…" I murmured, lying on my stomach as she carefully pulled off the cover and replaced it with a fresh one. "Besides, he'll get out of that habit…"

"I do hope he does…" she replied, pulling a face as she stared at his unkempt bunk. "He's sort of scaring me, even if he is on our team…"

I pushed myself up and looked out the window when the bandage was in place. The day was perfect for training as the weather was clear and warm. Tommy was running about and striking at something at ground level. I raised a brow as I took note of his speed and agility. He was quick to strike like a wolf, and with a grin, held up his prize: a rat the size of a frag grenade. I was engrossed by this and ducked back into my bunk, pulling the pillow over my face.

"Ugh…" I gagged, muffled. "He got another one…"

"Eww…"

Two minutes had passed when Tommy came in, his hands stained with a little blood and fur, but nonetheless, he had his precious treasure. Kitty jumped into the bed above mine and huddled there, hiding under her blankets.

"Tommy!" she yelled, her face peeking into view under the dark red sheets. "That was gross and unnecessary!"

"Hey, not like you're going out to warm up your muscles," he teased, jumping into his bed and pulling out a small cardboard box with the dried lengths of flesh.

I turned to stand up, only to see someone cowering near our door. The shadows shifted slightly, revealing who it was. I was about to snap a salute, but the figure shook his head. I refrained as he stepped in, only to loom over the unsuspecting Tommy, who was counting the tails one by one.

"Twenty-five… Twenty-six… Twenty-seven…"

"That is a lot of rattails you have there, son…" our visitor commented. "Must've taken you a while…"

"Indeed I do!" my teammate laughed, continuing to count.

Kitty and I were both very nervous and took several steps back.

"Uh… Tommy…?" I heard Kitty whimpered as she slid down the side of the bed and landed soundlessly on the ground.

"I'm busy here…"

"Seriously, Tommy…" I began. "You might…"

"Unless it's the Chief, Neala, no need to worry!'

"Tommy, that's the thing… It IS the Chief…"

The box dropped and the boy jumped to the floor, snapping into a salute.

"FORGIVE ME, SIR!" he shouted. "I DID NOT SEE YOU, SIR!"

"At ease, son…" Mendez chuckled. "I see you've managed to keep a hefty collection…"

Tommy meekly responded as Kitty and I also raised a salute then stood down.

"Uh… Yes, sir…"

"I am quite impressed at your recovery times though. All three of you have managed to get through it all."

"Sir, permission to speak…?" Kitty whispered as the Chief sat in an empty chair.

"Permission granted."

"When can we go back on the field?"

Mendez only chuckled a bit and looked outside.

"Whenever you are ready starting tomorrow, you will be working in groups I will assign," he replied. "As you know, the teams have become smaller, so I will need to regroup everyone and add some more to the remaining groups. Charlie's team will be merging with yours, so you will be getting two more people to command, team leader."

I nodded with satisfaction at the thought of gaining two more teammates. Charlie was definitely one I could work with as I saw what he was capable of. I never did get to know the rest of his team personally, but from what he told me, they were also one of the top rankers next to Team Stag and our own, Team Wildcat. What was sad was that of his team, he only had one more with him; the others had also washed out. I looked at the Chief and snapped another salute.

"Ah yes, I must ask this on behalf of Dr. Halsey, as she has her own matters to attend to in preparations for you. Now, how are you feeling…? Faint? Sick? Weak…?"

"Sir! No, sir!" Tommy replied first. "I am doing fine as you can see, sir!"

Mendez nodded then looked at shy, little Kitty.

"I am doing fine, sir!" she chirped strongly. "Just helping the team leader back on her feet, sir!"

"And you, team leader?"

At first, I did not know what to say, as I was the last of the three to recover, but seeing as I was the leader, I also had to be the strongest. Compared to Tommy and Kitty, I was the rat of the three, but I couldn't lie, and told the truth.

"I am still bleeding a bit behind the neck, but the nurses have already told me that it's very minor and that I should just have it covered for another day or two," I reported, slightly unnerved at how weak it made me seem. "Both of my teammates are helping me recover faster, and we will be back on the field no later than in two days."

"Take all the time needed, team leader," the chief replied as he stood up. "We don't want you working only at half capacity... We need everyone to be working at their full potential."

We watched as he made his way towards the door, glancing at each of us as one hand stood on the doorknob.

"Well, I must be going to check the others and see how they are fairing… I will see you later on…"

The three of us saluted in unison as he left. As soon as the door clicked shut, the Kitty and I grabbed our pillows and began to beat our male companion over the head with them. Tommy whimpered and slid under my bed, only to be stopped by Kitty.

"I can't believe you talked to the chief like that!" I rebuked. "You should know better! He is our superior!"

"How was I supposed to know!" he whimpered, being dragged out by the foot by Kitty.

"If you hadn't been so absorbed by your rattail collection, you wouldn't have embarrassed yourself in front of him like that!"

We continued to bicker and whack each other on the head with our pillows, sending bits of cotton into the air when there was a knock at the door. We quickly ceased our rambunctious antics and quickly tidied up our quarters before I answered the door.

"Yes…?" I replied, opening the door a crack as I plucked a fuzz ball from the top of my head. "Who is it?"

A deep voice answered my inquiry.

"It's me, Charlie…"

Kitty beamed as I opened the door all the way.

"Hey there, Charlie!" she chirped. "What are you doing here?"

"Chief Mendez told me that we were to bunk with you guys now since our team…"

His voice trailed off as his eyes were staring in the direction of the cemetery, where our fallen comrades were buried. I walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"You are always welcome to be with us," I replied.

The two came into our quarters and settled their belongings in a corner as the door clicked shut. I nodded to Kitty and we prepared two more beds for our new addition. Tommy looked at the other standing behind Charlie.

"Brass, how are you doing?" he asked as I got the upper bunk on Tommy's side ready and Kitty got the empty bunk on the other side ready.

"A little lonely…" he replied, shuffling his feet a bit. "I do miss my other teammates… Sasha especially…"

I looked down from the top bunk after fluffing a pillow Kitty tossed over my way. I nearly fell over trying to catch it, but kept my balance. Sasha… Yes, I remembered her… She was always with Brass during the training runs. At nights, they would spend some alone time, talking about the training earlier in the day, devising new ways of attacking the enemy. She was a very keen girl, and was always on top of her task. Unfortunately, much like those in the ground, resting in peace, her spine was disfigured and couldn't stand up straight, let alone sit up straight. A few days later, she passed away. I sighed softly and chose my words carefully.

"Don't think of them as gone," I assured. "Like Mendez said during the funeral procession, it's not like they're gone completely… As long as we keep them alive in our thoughts, then they are alive to us. It doesn't matter if they are dead to others, but if they are alive to us, then that is all that matters…"

Brass looked up and seemed to have lightened up a bit.

"Yeah, you're right," he replied. "I'll keep that in mind, Neala. Thanks…"

"Anytime…"

I slid down as Tommy ran to get the extra blankets that he had pilfered from the room next door, as was his idea of 'borrowing' things… Brass had taken the upper bunk while Charlie took the lower bunk of the third bed. Dinner was to happen in 1800 hours, and it was now 1700. Thinking it was best if we just stepped out and walked around for a bit, I motioned for the team and smiled at them casually.

"How about we just head for the food before the others beat us there, hmm?" I suggested.

Tommy was the first to respond and was out the door before anyone could reply. We all laughed and began to chase after our wild friend, playing a game of tag as we made our way to the mess halls. I didn't care about this new addition as it would help me more, but the fact was that I had more responsibility for them now that I was a leader of four instead of two. With more people meant more risks, but I was willing to plan things out before executing them. After all, that was how we were trained, and that is how we will do things.

* * *

**Time: **1805 hours

**Date: **May 15, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Staff Lounge, Camp Recluse, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

Dr. Halsey watched as Neala's little group ran past her window, heading for the mess hall. She closed her eyes as a drone refilled her teacup. Her mind, although stressed with fatigue, was still quite active as she dove into her memories.

"_Mark my words, Halsey_," an old voice whispered, power and authority emanating from its ghostly echoes. "_I may be a former Spartan and I will go into battle if I am called for duty, but if you are to lay one finger on my child, mark my words, I will hunt you down… And I will show you a wrath that not even the one called the Master Chief can equal…_"

Something touched her, and her cup fell with a small clatter, the ceramic utensil shattering into pieces. Startled, she looked down, only to see that it had slipped from her delicate hands in fright. She turned to look who had rested a hand on her shoulder, and let out a sigh of relief when she locked eyes with Chief Petty Officer Mendez.

"Am I bothering you, doctor?" his raspy voice growled gently as another drone came to clean up the accident.

"No," she replied nervously, but masked with a cold face. "Please, will you join me?"

"Of course…"

The chief pulled up an empty seat and sat down as a meal was placed before each of them. The doctor only wanted a salad while the officer had requested a well-done steak and some vegetables. He looked at Halsey, as she seemed to fumble with her fork.

"Catherine, is everything all right?"

The doctor placed her fork down and sighed. Yes, there was something bothering her, even though she was one to keep things to herself or her AI, Minerva.

"In a way, there is…" she murmured. "I just can't keep this one voice out of my head…"

"A voice…?"

This certainly got the chief's attention.

"Yes, a voice… One from the past who is a father of one of these children…"

Mendez swallowed the bit in his mouth and looked at the doctor curiously. He was familiar with the parents of most of these children as he had trained their very parents himself, turning them into the combatants that were out on the field. However, he was curious to know which one was certainly getting to Halsey.

"And which one do you speak of…?"

"SPARTAN-468…"

The chief looked up and blinked. This was the one he had been tracking, keeping a close eye for any roguish behavior and whatnot. Fortunately, he had not seen such things arise in her yet, but the thought that it was her father that threatened Halsey the way he did was expected. After all, even he knew that the Spartans would have a hard time producing offspring, and to have one was like destroying the entire Covenant armada and finally bringing peace. He closed his eyes, as a glass of red wine was set before him.

"MCPO Satoshi's child…"

"Yes…"

"He threatened you?"

"Of course…" she replied tartly. "What parent wouldn't threaten me with death for wanting their children in this project? After all, it is their children who carry on the traits of their parents, yes?"

"I understand where you are going with this… But you fear that you may face Satoshi's wrath?"

"Technically, I have not laid a single finger on her, so he cannot harm me…"

"But in a way, you have, and he can…"

"Oh, how so?"

"If you think about it, the other surgeons did the operation on your behalf, but you still led. So technically, he can get you for abducting his child and turning her into a war machine as you did to him…"

Catherine sighed.

"If only there was an easier way to end this war, but I do not see any other options at this very moment."

"I know what you mean, but we will find a way out one way or another… Oh yes, one of my men has made a careful observation on the teams, in particular, Neala's."

"Oh? Abnormal anomalies?"

"Not quite… While working on dispersing the remaining groupless members, we found a particularly odd trait in her group."

"Go on…"

"I am sure you remember Satoshi's team if you remember their leader very well…"

"Yes, Team Rising Sun; formerly Team Sniper and Team Melee until you combined them. I've had to treat them several times on my own as they kept roughhousing so much, there were more scars and open wounds for them in the barracks than there were when they were on the mock missions… What about them?"

"Save for Andes, all of them had children, and all their children are here on Reach-II on the same team: Neala's team."

"What? It has to be just a coincidence…"

"I don't know… We know whom Neala is related to, but what about the others? It could be just a coincidence that they are together like this…"

"What do you mean? It's just not probable that all of them just managed to end up on the same team…"

"When we ran through the database of the SPARTAN-III project, I ran the names with those in SPARTAN-IV. In doing so, I found that the team Neala has almost exactly as the one Satoshi has… Kitty is Randall's youngest daughter of two, Tommy is Tanoak's only son, and Charlie is William's second son…"

"Charlie… Doesn't Charlie have one teammate with him?"

"Yes, Brass… From what I know and what the database shows, Andes never married, so I doubt the two are related. However, Brass isn't a son of a Spartan, so Brass' counterpart could very well be Andes…"

"This is a rather interesting turn of events…"

"Indeed… Should I divide them…?"

"No, keep them together," Halsey replied. "I want to see if they are capable of pulling off what the older generation cannot do at the moment."

"And what would that be?"

"Finding the final Halo…"

Mendez nodded after sipping the blood-red wine.

"ONI is already on it, but so far nothing. I heard that a dispatch team was sent to Ovid IX for ground recon, and recovered information on the possible whereabouts of the final Halo."

"And where are they now?"

"Last I heard they jumped away from Ovid IX towards a random coordinate per Cole Protocol. Where they end up, not even I know…"

"If that is the case, then we should be ready to ship out the SPARTAN-IV units out soon… At least in two months time…"

"It's because of Satoshi, isn't it…?"

"In one view, yes… In another, there is a planet where it seems that a group of strangely clad Elites, as you call them, is basing on planet Uxxasr Omicron in the Diluvia System."

The chief leaned back as his empty plate was taken away.

"Go on…"

"The people there are deathly afraid and are pushing these units back into the mountains, but they do not have the weapons to keep them at bay. None of the Spartan teams are able to go there as they are settling duties on other planets, and Team Rising Sun is in slip space. Who knows when and where they will emerge…?"

"I see your point… I will step up their training… In about three weeks, we can give them their suits, their weapons, and their first real mission…"

"Yes… Their first real mission…"

"Their suits are ready, yes?"

"Of course… The Mark-VII's are complete and ready to go. The testing that Kale and Kelly went through has refined the armor, and they are waiting to be put to use."

Mendez stood up, helping the doctor up and stepped out with her.

"I suggest you take some rest…" he murmured as they made their way to the private quarters. "I know you are up all night, studying the anomalies found in Kelly, but you need to get some sleep. And since you are still considered a civilian, I am ordering you to take the night off…"

Halsey huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Trying to order me around?"

"For the best, Catherine… I bid you good night…"

He left her side and disappeared down the corridor. Halsey paced a bit before entering her room.

It was a simple little room, a desk to one side and a bed on the other. Her clothes were not many, and she preferred the lackluster settings. She sat down at her desk and sipped the cold dregs in her mug. Minerva appeared on the holo-screen with the status of the project.

So far, everyone that was still alive was doing well, save for a few who were struggling. Amongst them was the number 468. She mulled on this quietly and opened up the logs being kept by the nurses. There wasn't much, except that a particular wound was not closing as quickly. She made note of this and sent the information to all the nurses.

"Shall I wake you up at normal hours?"

Halsey looked at the AI and shook her head.

"I think I'll take Mendez 'advice' and get some rest…"

"Good idea… You had only five hours of sleep this past week. Suggested need is eight hours a night, and-"

"Yes, I know, Minerva… Wake me in eight hours then…"

"Very well, doctor… Good night…"

* * *

**Time: **2135 hours

**Date: **May 15, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Spartan Barrack 23C, Camp Recluse, UNSC Training/Research Facility, planet Reach-II, system Unknown

"Chief Mendez said no more snacking after dinner!"

"I'm not! It's just a little treat before calling it a night…"

"You'll get fat!"

"No I won't!"

"That and you'll have a sugar high again!"

"So? I need it…"

"This late at night?"

"Yep!"

"Why so! Oh no… You are not doing _that _again!"

"And why not?"

"Because it's just gross, and did you see the Chief's face!"

"Just live with it, Kitty… You won't be changing my habits… Besides, he said I had an impressive collection…"

There was a small scuffle, followed by a squeak from Kitty.

"NEALA! Make him stop!"

We were in our room, lounging around while doing some light studies, as Minerva had assigned us several pages of reading on Intergalactic Wars 1 and 2. Tommy and Kitty were arguing back and forth, one wanting to get on a sugar high while the other was trying to stop him. I looked up from my text and blinked.

"Tommy, please… Just sit down and study… You know Minerva's not too happy about your grades… I mean, who got the difference between the Cold War and the Iraqi War wrong by saying one had the tech while the other didn't?"

"Well, it is true, no?"

"If it was, why did you get docked off five points for that…?" Charlie snickered. "You didn't even tell what tactics they were using, or what situtations they were placed in…"

"Well, look at you, Mr. Ace…"

"Tommy… Stand down and study… Better than just sitting around…"

"But I'm bored… And I hate reading…"

"Tommy…"

"Yes, team leader… On it…"

Charlie had finished his readings and was working on his tactical assignment while Brass seemed to have fallen asleep on his books. I looked at the time and sighed. Tommy grumbled about something and went on to work on his procrastinated studies while Kitty was brushing her teeth, getting ready for bed. She deftly leapt on to the ladder and slid up the rungs, only to disappear under her blankets.

"Hey! Why does she get to bunk down?" Tommy whined.

"Because she finished her work, and she also cleaned her weapons for tomorrow's training…"

"Wait, we get to go back on to the field?"

"And again, he doesn't pay attention when the Chief speaks…" Kitty muttered.

"I do too…"

"The Chief said we can start training tomorrow, but our team will start after we finish our test, ok? I don't want you guys half asleep while on the field… You remember Team Glacier kicking your butt so easily because of lack of sleep because of your procrastinated studies?"

"Ok, ok! I'm on it! I'm on it!"

He grabbed his textbook from under the bed and plopped on to a pillow, reading and taking notes. Another two hours had passed, and by then, everyone was fast asleep, save for me. I was finishing up the last parts of IGW II and packed away my training sniper rifle. Even if it wasn't the real thing, I still took good care of it as if it were the real one. I put the kit away and turned out my light, only to drift into a deep slumber.


	18. Chapter 17

**_Perchance to Dream_**

**Time: **1058 hours

**Date: **May 18, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Onboard the UNSC ship _Forbidden Evolution_, Diluvia System

The _Forbidden Evolution_, as well as the two sleek Longsword fighters, had appeared out of slip space and floated freely. Those inside had been jolted violently, slightly disoriented as to which way was up. The crewmembers and engineers began to run diagnostics on the _Forbidden Evolution_ as the two black fighters entered the hangar.

The medical crew came in with stretchers for the heavily wounded while wheelchairs came for those who could not stand. The Spartans filed out one by one and were promptly escorted to the medical bay for treatment and repairs. However, Satoshi broke from the group and made his way to the bridge.

"Chief!" Andes shouted. "Where are you going?"

"To see the Admiral!" he replied, jumping for a leaving lift. "I need to see where we are and give him the information!"

The others were quickly ushered away from view as Chief Satoshi disappeared into the main part of the ship.

Others had been seriously injured from the sudden jump, and were recuperating as fast as possible. He stepped on to the deck, only to see some people running about, checking the hardware for damage. Geit was at the holographic podium, lines of code scrolling quickly as he attempted to reboot the whole system. Not wanting to disturb the AI, he stood next to the Admiral.

"Sir!" he greeted, snapping a salute.

"Chief…" the Admiral replied, straightening out his suit before turning around. "I take you have some explanation for this?"

"Sorry about the mess, sir, but we were under enemy fire," he explained. "Geit had advised that we jump out of the system and I guess he didn't warn everyone here on the _Forbidden Evolution_ to brace themselves for a jump."

"It's alright, chief, but next time, do give us a warning…"

"The error was on my behalf," the AI murmured as he stood up and enlarged himself to be at their height. "We needed a quick escape route as the Covenant ship, _Wrath of the Gods_, had one of the two tactical nukes bored into the side of it via one of the Scorpion shells."

"And where was the other?"

"In the Forerunner Structure," Geit continued. "Andes and Tanoak planted it so that it destroyed whatever was left it in."

"And we had to get away or else we'd be caught in the blast," Satoshi finished.

"Good work, son."

Satoshi saluted as Geit pulled up the same star chart he had retrieved from the Covenant.

"I've looked up several known charts in the ONI database while we were jumping, but none of them have a match for this place. The only thing I can conclude is that it's an area humans have yet to explore…"

"Hmm… Well, we can't stay and dawdle…" the admiral replied. "Too long and the bastards will have their hands on the final Halo, and who knows what will happen then?"

"But we also can't do much," the master chief petty officer answered in both a stern and worried tone. "The ODSTs are injured and need attention. From the wounds they have suffered, what the staff on _Forbidden Evolution_ can do is limited. We will need to find a colony we can land in for supplies and medical attention. We've practically used up all our ammunition during the assault and only have about half a clip for each weapon we have left, save for Tanoak's rocket launcher, which we abandoned when he used up all the charges to keep from being weighed down."

The admiral was quiet as Geit looked at another systems chart, this time of the vicinity they were in.

"Geit," the admiral began. "Where are we right now?"

"In the Diluvia System," the AI reported. "It seems that we jumped quite a distance away from Ovid IX to end up on this side of the galaxy."

"Any place where we can land?"

"There is a planet not too far from here," the centaur pointed out as a holographic hand hovered over an earth-like sphere. "It will take about two weeks to get there, but they do have the necessities."

"Which planet is that?"

"Uxxasr Omicron, sir."

"Then we should stop there and get as much as we need."

"Get some rest, Satoshi… The medical ward is doing everything they can, so might as well make the best of it."

"Sir, I will after my men and the ODSTs, may the gods forbid me for letting them die, are treated."

"Just make sure that you also get some treatment. Don't want losing my best commander…"

"Yes, sir…"

He turned and stepped through the double doors, only to run into a man clad only in a pair of olive drab shorts. He held the boy still by the shoulders and shook him a little. The chief scanned his pulse and took off his helmet to get a better look at his comrade. Obviously, something was scaring him if his heart was racing at the speed of a firing assault rifle.

"Kyle, what's wrong?" Satoshi asked in a very concerned tone. "I thought you were resting in the medical bay…"

"It's the nurses!" he managed to squeak, scrambling to grab the chief around the neck and hang on. "They're after me! Don't let them get me!"

"Kyle, how many times do we have to go through this?" the chief sighed, grabbing the armorless Spartan by the back of his neck and prying him off. Of course, he was very careful as the suit had increased his strength ten-fold, and he didn't want to injure his teammate anymore than necessary. "They are not going to kill you, nor are they going to hurt you… They are there to help patch you up, and with a torn Achilles, you're not even supposed to be up!"

"But Chief! I swear they want to dissect me and see how I tick!"

"Kyle, stop this nonsense… The sooner you heal, the sooner you can get away from them, ok? They just want to repair your torn tendons…"

"But Chief…!"

Satoshi rolled his eyes and carried Kyle back to the medical bay, only to see that all the Spartans had gathered together, cheering for their leader. The chief glared at a laughing Kyle as he quickly slid away and hid behind Lucia, snickering rather loudly.

"What's this about?" he demanded in a playful manner.

"Chief! We were worried about you and wanted to get down there with you, but the Admiral wouldn't listen!" Armand replied.

"I'm glad he didn't… If you did go, then we would've jumped without you, and I don't like leaving my men behind…"

The others murmured quietly and snapped a salute to pay their respect towards their leader. Satoshi nodded and they stood at ease, dispersing themselves as they went about the ship to various locations, helping to move the jarred cargo, as well as help with repairs. Kyle was about to slip away when he got caught by the back of the waistband. He turned to look behind him and grinned nervously.

"Uh… Hi, chief…?"

"Kyle, did you or did you not get your Achilles tendon fixed…?"

"Yes, sir!" he quickly replied.

"Then why on earth did you jump on me like that? I know you have a fear of some of the nurses, but this?"

"The others were worried, so I had to get you over here without distracting the other crewmembers. Besides, it was Khan's idea!"

"Well, for now, I don't care whose idea it was, but you are going to drop and give me fifty for pulling off a stunt like that."

"Aw man…"

Satoshi let go and watched as his young comrade got on his knees, then up on his toes to do the fifty pushups as ordered. However, the chief did not see this as punishment. He wanted to make sure that Kyle's heel had indeed been treated, and from the way he performed, it was back to working condition. For one, it didn't seem like that it had been repaired just recently, so he did have time to stay off it. That was, if he listened to the doctor…

The young Spartan stood back up and rolled his ankle a little. His superior took note of this and smiled a little.

"Do get some rest and keep off that ankle, got it? I need you frosty when we land in a few days…"

"Yes, sir!" he chirped, voice cracking slightly.

The chief shook his head as he walked down the corridor and into an empty clean room. There, a small group of medical staff members was waiting and helped him get out of the Mjolnir. He felt very vulnerable without the suit, but it was necessary, as he knew that even if the suit was nearly impervious, heavy battles like the one on Ovid IX could take a toll on the body because of the shocks and pulses it had to take from being beaten on by both physical and plasma attacks. As the black matte polymer bodysuit was peeled away, bruises contrasted greatly against his pale flesh like a blotch of black ink on white paper. His back and legs were covered by a large number of small spots while a large green and black ring nestled on his upper shoulder. He did not remember feeling any pain while fighting, but now that his adrenaline rush had subsided, the pain came like a shotgun, piercing deep into the muscle. He winced as the medical specialist came in to have a look at the injury.

"Looks like we'll need to ice it and keep you off it for a while to actually get this one out of your system," Dr. Anju Mahdrigalo concluded after tapping the bruise a few times to see how deep the injury was. "After a few days, you can slowly go back to training."

Satoshi winced at the thought of breaking and not continuing his training. Then again, he had orders from the Admiral to get some rest. He nodded as she put a cryopad on to the injury and wrapped it in place in a snug yet gentle manner. He did not like the feeling of being constrained, but if it would help him in the long run, then he would follow through with it. After several more routine checks, as well as a quick session in physical therapy for his exhausted body, he was escorted back to his quarters and promptly laid out on his bunk. It felt awkward to actually relax again after so many years of fighting. Those short years in which he had earn himself decorations, as well as a wife and once had a beautiful daughter…

His helmet was the only piece of armor that he brought back, as there was too much personal information on it at the moment to let anyone, even the researchers, to peek at it. Geit-II was still in there and appeared as a tiny centaur on the hologram pad on the desk.

"Something wrong, chief?" the AI asked, defragging the information that had been collected and filtering out any Covenant or Forerunner viruses that were planning to sabotage the piece of human technology.

The chief did not hear this, but instead, had let his mind wander off again. He stared at the titanium ceiling, at the stains that had created strange, blotched images. The blotches began to move and swirl into pictures. He closed his eyes, only to hear soft voices calling out to him.

"Daddy… Daddy…"

He opened his eyes and saw his home of EC-468. He felt the cool woodland breeze, as well as smelled the heavy pines that surrounded then. His pale blue orbs landed on a small child at his side, clutching on to his leg like a baby koala.

"Neala…?"

"Daddy…"

The girl beamed as another familiar voice called out to him.

"My love… You're home at last…"

Blinking, he was in stunned awe as his wife embraced him warmly.

"Cassandra…?"

Before he could get his answer, he felt a gentle tug on his leg.

"Daddy, can we ride in your Warthog?"

He looked down at her face. She knew he couldn't refuse, and Satoshi nodded.

"Of course…"

He was about to turn and head to the house for the keys when he heard a blood-curling shriek.

"DADDY!"

"NEALA! NO!"

He ran towards the source of the sound, gun locked and loaded. He reached the garage, only to see his beloved fall to her knees. Beside her was his now-deceased daughter.

"NO! CASSANDRA! NEALA!"

The place began to burn as the Covenant overtook the area, tongues of hell licking the life out of this sacred colony. Satoshi burned in anger as he looked at himself. He was no longer wearing his suit, but his armor. With flames overtaking his mind, he unleashed an inferno. His rage tore through the ranks, leaving nothing but charred bits of flesh and twisted pieces of metal. Then, as he looked on the horizon, there was the beast himself… The most unholy of unholy… The main Covenant prophet… The Prophet of Destruction…

The Spartan stood up, his weapon in hand, lusting for revenge. This beast, this prophet, held his hand towards the sky, and as the chief ran at full speed towards the destructor, a bolt of white light overtook him, enshrouding him in pain and blindness.

"NO!'" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "CASSANDRA! NEALA!"

He reached out, only to reach for emptiness. The white light cleared, only to become dark. He seemed to have stopped and looked around. Suddenly, he began to plummet into the darkness. He struggled to stop, but nothing was slowing him down until he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Chief! Wake up!"

His eyes snapped open and he bolted up, only to fall off his bed and injure his right shoulder further. He groaned and shook a bit as two others came in and helped him back up. With his uninjured arm, he rubbed his hand against his face to wipe away the sweat. A cool towel ran over the back of his neck while a bottle of water was held in front of him.

"Drink…" a gentle voice spoke.

This time, Satoshi knew this was for real and took the bottle, downing its contents to replenish his body. He looked up and saw his team, along with Jenny, looking at him in a concerned manner.

"Chief?" came Andes' voice. "You ok?"

"We came as soon as Geit-II told us you were yelling," Randall explained. "He let us in, and we found you twisting and shouting…"

The master chief petty officer murmured softly as he shook his head, his mind disoriented.

"Chief," another voice called out.

The other Spartans turned to see whom it was and stood out of the way. It was Dr. Anju Mahdrigalo.

"Chief, I suggest you lay off any training until we reach Uxxasr Omicron."

"No…" he muttered. "I refuse to stand down while there is still life in this body… I will kill the Covenant armada and their Prophets, even if it kills me…"

"Seriously, chief. You need to rest," Tanoak beckoned. "If you don't, who will lead us into battle?"

"He's right," William chimed in. "Without you, we wouldn't be Team Rising Sun, and how would that make us look in front of the ODSTs and other crewmembers of _Forbidden Evolution_?"

"The Covenant is the reason why we are here instead of living normal lives… It is because of them that we had to endure pain and hardships to become who we are today… It is because of them that we are no longer mere humans, but tools of war… Tools to do the bidding of the Creator who placed us here to be his pawns…"

"Chief, stop talking nonsense and get some rest, ok?" Tanoak refuted. "As much as we know you wish to be with your family, you can't do anything about it… All you can do is hope for the best…"

The others glared at the corporal, but they knew he was right. All they could do was really hope for the best and that they would be able to return to their homes when the war was over. However, Satoshi continued to drone on. Dr. Mahdrigalo nodded to Andes, who produced a syringe with a clear fluid. With a swift movement that not even the dazed Satoshi could notice, he was quickly silenced and tucked into bed. Geit-II had been watching the whole thing as he sat on the helmet, code scrawling about his bluish translucent body while tiny star charts flanked him on the sides. The doctor looked at the miniscule centaur.

"Did you catch was he was shouting about?" she asked, staring at the sleeping Spartan.

"He was crying out for his wife and now-deceased daughter…" the AI replied, comparing different star charts with the one from Ovid IX.

"Family…" she whispered. "One of the most treasured things a human can have… And to say the least, even though the Spartans have been augmented with the latest in biotechnology, they are not machines, but still human…"

The doctor left without saying another word, leaving the others to themselves in the quiet room. All of them, even Andes, knew what she was talking about. Families were priceless treasures that many overlooked. All of them had a family of some sort, whether it was their own or the military family they grew up with. Regardless, they had considered themselves brothers and sisters to each other, taking care of one another when times were tough. Taking the advice of the doctor, they went their separate ways to their own quarters, resting and dreaming of the day when they would see peace again…


	19. Chapter 18

**_Casting Off_**

**Time: **2135 hours

**Date: **May 29, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **In orbit onboard the UNSC ship _Trinity's Limit_, Reach-II, system Unknown

After our training was complete during those two quick weeks, we were given our battle armor, and after a short time adjusting to them, it was time for us to be sent out to various locations in the galaxy to push back the Covenant factions in the other systems, as well as peace-keeping routines. We had been gathered on the vast UNSC frigate _Trinity's Limit_, where some of us would see each other for the final time. It was here where we were given our last briefing together and go our separate ways. I watched as Admiral Carey Bellefontaine gave us one final salute and turned away. We were given time to do some last-minute preparations before we departed. For some of us, it was saying our goodbyes to our fellow brothers and sisters in arms. I looked at how small my 'family' had become since we first met…

I heard from one of the staff members while heading to my room after a long day of training that at least a hundred fifty had started in the program, but along the way, some were just too weak to move after the wakeup protocols or had died during the travel in slip space. From here started the weeding process, and the project was already down to a hundred…

Of the one hundred that had survived, only seventy-five survived the training… The training was used to further weed out the physically and mentally weak, to pick out the strongest. The time after the 'camping' incident, several of the squads had come down with great sickness, only to not survive. These I held close to my heart, as I was with a few when they passed away…

Out of the seventy-five, only forty-five had survived the bioengineering process… The process was painful as it strained our whole being. The implants… The restructuring… The introduction of chemicals that would impede or kill us… Out of forty-five, fifteen did not survive physically but were still mentally useful, and were to become part of the Office of Naval Intelligence, or ONI as they called it, helping with the battle tactics as well as gathering information to relay to the fighters. The other thirty… Their bodies were cremated and sent drifting into space a few hours ago, when we had held a funeral service for them. Mendez was there to hold the honors, but Halsey did not appear. I was quite perplexed, but I knew she had more important matters to attend to than watching the remains of the failed experiments disappear forever. We did not resort to the normal burial ritual, as they were the ones who were close to becoming Spartans, unlike the ones buried on Reach-II. At least these family members would be able to have their afterlife in space, where they would be if they were still alive…

Out of the thirty, only twenty-eight became full-fledged Spartans… We were each blessed with a Mjolnir suit, a Mark-VII to be exact. Several times, we had run into difficulties while in these suits of armor, but we learned to control our movements slowly in small intervals, only to pick up the pace during those few days of recuperating. The other two had suffered permanent damage because of the suit and had also been sent away to work in ONI. I regretted watching them leave, but it was for the best. I was very glad that my whole team had pulled out, although I just barely made it. Then there was one Spartan… Spartan-458… Last I heard from her, Mendez had sent her on a minor mission with a few SPARTAN-IIs, but she never returned. They had marked her as MIA, but I was sure that she was still alive out there…

I looked at Charlie. He had lost all but one member, but he showed no emotion. I felt sorrow coming from him, and approached him as the sounds of busyness grinded in the background.

"Charlie?" I called out. "Is everything ok?"

"Officer Neala!" he saluted. "I didn't notice you there."

Then again, I wasn't surprised. He was towering at 2.5 meters tall while I only stood a mere 2.2 meters. I had to look up just to see his face, but in respect, he bent his knees so that I wouldn't have to strain my neck.

"At ease there, Charlie…" I replied, smiling at him as the Marines were preparing the other ships for us to take off. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm mixed up…"

"Oh?"

He turned away to hide his feelings, but I knew it was grief that weighed heavily in his heart.

"I lost all my teammates save one, but you have all of yours… It's like I lost my whole family…"

"Charlie, even I have felt the loss… Everyone did… What we went through was for the good of humanity, and if you think about it, their lives were not wasted…"

"Indeed…" another voice came from behind. "There is a difference between using lives and wasting them…"

The two of us turned, only to see our trainer, Chief Petty Officer Mendez, looking at us. We both snapped into a salute while holding our rifles at our side.

"At ease, soldiers…" he murmured. "I know that your whole squad didn't pull out, Charles…"

Charlie's shoulder slumped just slightly at the mention of his team, only to straighten up again.

"No, sir… They didn't…"

"But you know that their lives were not wasted, yes?"

"No, sir… I do not understand what you mean, sir…"

"Wasted lives are when you throw your men into the fire without thinking of the consequences, putting their life on the line for no reason other than to die to the hands of the enemy… Cannon fodder… But if you use a life, you are using it for the benefit of mankind… The lives that were lost were those who knew what was coming, and continued on their training regardless of their fate. They knew that not everyone would survive, but if they did… Well, you were considered one of the lucky ones…"

"But what about those who are alive, but cannot be on the field with us? What about them?"

"They will be fighting, but in their own way. Though they can no longer hold a weapon, they are not defenseless, for their mind is their weapon. You are dismissed…"

I quietly dwelled on this. He was right… We couldn't waste lives for they were for humanity's sake. We had to use them. Charlie saluted again and left. I was about to walk off to where Kitty and Tommy were when I heard Mendez call my name.

"Petty Officer First Class Neala… A word with you, please?"

I didn't like how he said my whole title, but if he did, it meant business. I turned around and approached him humbly.

"Yes, sir?"

"Walk with me…"

I obeyed his command and walked behind him.

"Neala…"

This was the first time he had addressed me by my first name alone as he would always call me 'Neala-468' or 'SPARTAN-468,' if not, my full rank title.

"Yes, sir?"

"You know that what you are doing is dangerous…"

I paused for a second.

"Yes, sir… I am aware of this…"

"And you know that you are leading a group of trained super soldiers into a war that they may not survive…"

"Yes, sir…"

"Why do you do it…?"

This question stunned me. I had never been asked this question, but I knew I had at least one answer in my mind, even though there was another reason slowly stirring inside me.

"To destroy the Covenant and save humanity…"

Mendez nodded as we turned into another corridor, overlooking the hangar, where the Spartans were doing last-minute checks to their gear, as well as checking the loaded weapons before boarding the other two Marathon-Class Cruisers, _Warlord_ and _Barbarian_. I could see Tommy, being the pain he was, with Kitty, chasing her about with a tiny bundle. I pulled a face as Kitty turned and rammed him, the bundle flying into the air. Charlie caught the bundle, only to be disgusted, and threw it into a nearby trashcan. I laughed inside as I watched the crazed 'black wolf' jump into the receptacle, retrieving his 'prize.' I waited patiently as Mendez was thinking.

"I am sure you have heard the tales of the Master Chief, SPARTAN-117, and his excursions to Halo…?"

I looked up and nodded.

"Yes, sir. I have. I would be amazed if no one heard of his story and was working in the USNC somehow…"

Mendez nodded and began to heads towards the lift.

"You remind me greatly of him…"

I turned and looked at his battle-hardened face. The heavy scars were there, a symbol of the wars he had fought. But past all that, there was a part that I never saw before, like he seemed to smile.

"I never thought that I would meet another who is able to execute plans very similar to his…"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"That night when your team was sent to bed without dinner…"

I felt a lump in my throat and swallowed hard. I thought for sure no one saw. I was wrong…

"Y-you knew, sir…?"

"Knew? I watched the whole thing. You were very resourceful with what you could get your hands on, as well as having teammates you could rely on."

"Sir, we were famished that night, and had to get something or else we wouldn't be able to continue the next day."

"And that I understood. You were able to use your members' different abilities to reach for the goal. And the way you handled the situation in the survival training… I was very impressed that you were all able to weather out the storm with everyone, even though that upon return, several did not survive…"

"I did what I could, but I had failed when they died…"

"Failed, possibly, but you saw the error in your mistake and learned from it. That is what is important… A real solider never quits or gives up, but he knows when to stop and reconsider things…"

I sighed and thought about the time I was talking with Kelly one night, learning how to maintain the suit when not in use. She had told me several things, but one was of emotions… Human emotions…

"Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead…"

I fidgeted a little inside the suit, somewhat uncomfortable at bringing up such a personal issue, but I had to find some answer for it before I left the one whom I had considered to be my father.

"Sir, there was a feeling that I had when I was looking at the sick and dying that day… I had survived, but they didn't… I feel the pain of losing someone… Like a part of me had died with them… And now, my 'family' has gotten smaller since then… Almost to nothing…"

The officer chewed on the cigar stump and closed his eyes.

"Neala… When fighting this war for freedom, for life, the 'family' will get much smaller, and thus, the pain will be so great that many will die just to be with them… But the family… It will become so small, that all that will remain of the Spartans will be the few who are able to live after this war… To live in peace, but a Spartan is made for war, so peace will never be found save through death…"

"Sir… This war… I understand why we are fighting, but why do we have wars…? What is a war…? What does it have to do with emotions like Petty Officer Kelly warns me of?"

"For self-preservation… War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory. Whose victory depends on who wins, either by skill, by weapons, by their army size, or even all three... However, you must be wary. War dehumanizes a person, taking away his emotions, rendering him into a machine... Do not let war do this to you, Neala... Cherish your own emotions and never undervalue them. Emotions have taught mankind to reason, but war has brought out its barbaric side. As long as you are able to keep this one tiny significant aspect of having emotions, then you will remain a human."

Mendez looked up as the lift stopped. The rest of the teams saluted, waiting by their respected Pelicans. All of them saluted in unison, and as I brushed past the units with the Chief, they stood down. We stopped at in the center of the hangar, the chief looking at me while I at him.

"It is time that you head out…" he said with a hushed whisper, his face firm again. "Good luck, Neala… You know your duties…"

I put on my helmet and stepped to where my waiting Pelican was. Charlie, Brass, Kitty, Tommy, Carl, and Titus were waiting for me. I saluted one last time.

"I will not let you down, sir…" I said, the suit warping my voice slightly as the other in the Pelicans held up their weapons in reply.

I stared at them, knowing that we were all here for the same goal. I could hear them cheering as Mendez was satisfied with his latest batch of Spartans. Had Halsey been here instead of in her office with Kale and Kelly, she would've been proud also. I jumped into the hovering Pelican and knelt down to keep my balance. I looked at Mendez one final time.

"We will do what we are taught to do, and that is to save humanity and slaughter the Covenant opposition!"

With a roar, the Pelicans dove out of the hangar and into space. Rapier-422 pulled up next to Blade-621 while Flame-201 and Blaze-041 peeled away, heading towards the _Barbarian_. Avian, Richard, Tina, and Watts, along with others I had worked with, had been placed on Flame-201 and Blaze-041. I had watched them improve greatly since the augmentations, and I knew they would do well on their own. I had faith in them like any other sibling would, to count on when times were rough. I stuck my head out the bay doors while I clung on to the frame, using my battle rifle to wave them off. A Spartan had also peeked out of Flame-041 and did this same. A small portrait appeared on my screen. It was Richard. I drew a smile with my finger on my helmet where my mouth was and held up a thumbs-up sign. He returned the gesture and so did the Spartan on Flame-201, which was Juan. With a nod, we went our separate ways, and I turned to my team while opening a link to those in Blade-621.

"All right, team…" I began. "We're on mission now, and that is to destroy the Covenant fleet that is now plaguing Uxxasr Omicron. We get in there fast and sweep them off their feet before they know of their surroundings. We will attack swiftly like the Spartans we are! We will ravage their ships and their troops! We will destroy whoever opposes us! Now, who's with me!"

Again, another wave of cheer went throughout the troop carrier, as well as those echoing in my helmet from the other Pelican. We docked inside the _Warlord_ and proceeded to our quarters to prepare ourselves for the fight. It would only take three days to reach Uxxasr Omicron through the jump system, and once we were out of the slipstream, we would have to be ready for the hell awaiting us on the other side…

* * *

"You think she will do well, sir?"

The chief turned towards the source of the voice, only to have a suit of olive green armor stare back at him. He turned his attention back to the empty hangar.

"Yes… She will do fine, Kelly… Much like her father…"

The Spartan stood next to him and watched as the ships disappeared. All was quiet in the now semi-empty hangar as Kale approached them.

"You're fond of her, aren't you, sir?" the female petty officer inquired.

"I treat them all as though they were my own children, watching them grow up from such a young stage, very much like yourself, petty officer…"

"Yes, sir. I will do well to remember that."

He sighed quietly and closed his eyes, letting out a mist of smoke from his nostrils.

"I think it is best if you and Kale went back and met up with the Chief on the Septuagint Station orbiting Etym VII."

Kelly looked up in surprise, as did Kale.

"Sir, are you sure?" Kale asked.

Kelly could not believe her ears, even if her hearing was enhanced. It had been a long time since she had worked with John, and now, it was time for her to return to the group she grew up with.

"Sir, do you really mean it?"

Mendez nodded as he lit a cigar.

"Yes, I think it is time that you guys get back together. ONI has begun putting together information on the whereabouts of the final Halo, and we will need all the able Spartans to assault that ring world and take it from the Covenant. It is best to prepare now so that we are able to launch an attack on the aliens before they even have a chance."

Kelly stammered a little as she let this information sink in.

"Sir, I…"

"No need to speak, Kelly… Minerva has already prepared a Longsword for you and Kale to journey to Etym VII. You will also find an ammunitions stash in the storage units to bring to the station, along with parts for repairing the station."

He pulled out a disk and handed it over to the female Spartan.

"You will find the location of where Linda was sent to on the disk," he continued. "John might not be able to have his whole team back, but at least he will have a part of it. As soon as the final Halo is found, we will need to call in the rest of the Spartans from the various worlds to fight. Knowing that this is the final Halo, the Covenant will stop at nothing to get their greedy hands on it."

The two Spartans nodded and snapped a salute. They stared at each other for a long while, a moment of silence for the battle to come as well as for their dead brethrens until the pair spoke in a hushed, yet hardened, tone.

"Sir, we will not let you down…"


	20. Chapter 19

**_Impending _**

**Time: **0858 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Onboard the UNSC ship _Forbidden Evolution_, orbiting Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

The battle-scarred _Forbidden Evolution_ was sitting in orbit, bobbing gently in the vacuum towards the Mellor Docking Station. The engineers began preparations for landing as the Spartans gathered around the grand window of the training room. They had seen many planets on their various journeys, but even a new place sparked much interest in them. To tourists, it would mean being in a place that was foreign to them, unable to prepare themselves for what was to come. However, to the Spartans, it opened a wide gate to the many situations that led to a limitless mass of ideas for any strategy possible. Whispers could be heard as the docking ships flew out and escorted the large craft into the station, obscuring the view of the planet below.

"Reminds me of our time on Obit VIII," Khan murmured to Kyle as the group dispersed and prepared for unloading.

"Yeah, but Obit VIII had way too many volcanoes for my liking!" he retorted. "Do you know how long it took me to buff off the burns and ashes from my suit…!"

"Ok, _you_ decided to go chase a Ghost in a Warthog over the cliff… Be lucky that the chief didn't get you for melting the 'Hog, along with three crates of ammunition!"

Kyle simpered and whined a little. So that was a little screw-up that he ran into during their campout on Obit VIII. They had captured an Elite and was keeping it in lockdown until it managed to escape in a Ghost. After several hours of hunting, he had found it taunting him on the cliff with various gestures that he knew were vulgar in the alien language. The Elite was just getting to him so much that it drove him into a frenzy to knock the Covenant unit into the lava. However, in doing so, he has lost control of the loaded vehicle and rolled into an active volcano. He had barely jumped out in time, and the explosion from the lost weapons seriously charred his lustrous green armor to a dull, sooty black. He shook his head as he walked towards his little niche hidden amongst the support beams. It wasn't the safest of spots, but it was a good place to get away to when he needed time to himself, or just to run away from a mad chief. He laid out on his hammock suspended from the support beam, and after a few minutes of reminiscence, he dozed off into a quiet nap.

Meanwhile, Master Chief Satoshi was in the examination room with Dr. Mahdrigalo, having his right shoulder repaired as good as new. He hissed softly as an electrical pulse was jolted through his muscles, causing them to jerk involuntarily. The nodes were taken off the skin, and the Spartan rolled his shoulder a bit.

"Is that better?" the doctor asked as she wiped off the gel from the rough surface.

"Very much, ma'am," he replied. "Thank you…"

"I suggest that you keep the workouts to a minimum since the injury was very deep compared to the ones scattered over the rest of your body," Anju advised. "Your deltoid certainly took the most damage, but it is healing quite nicely despite a few bands that are not healing as fast. You haven't been doing too much, have you…?"

Satoshi coughed suddenly and turned away. It was a fact amongst the staff that the Spartans never did have these so-called 'downtimes' when it came to being injured. With injured muscles, they still did training, even if it was considered 'light' on their scale. Even if they were just a hairbreadth away from death, they were still up and fighting as though they were in perfect health, and Satoshi was no exception to this. They had remembered a fight on Bwai-Iktoa, one of the planets in the inner colonies, when they heard that Team Rising Sun had been separated from the others. By the time that was over, all of them were practically dead to the medical world, yet somehow, they survived and continued to fight today. It was considered a miracle, but it was a horrid sight to behold as each Spartan was pulled in on the heavy-duty lifts.

Their armor had been heavily damaged, Satoshi's and Andes' to the point that their flesh was exposed through the black matte polymer bodysuit. The white tiles of the operation room burned crimson as the armor was pulled off, hydrostatic gel and blood bubbling from the heavy wounds. Cries of anguish bellowed through the room as pain ripped through them, their bodies being torn as the melded pieces of the armor were taken off. Never again did they see something so excruciatingly terrible at such close range, for even the veteran doctors and nurses had been frightful of the Spartans' conditions as they were watched over carefully in the stasis tanks those next few weeks. Even though it was several years ago, those involved remembered the event as though it happened just yesterday.

Anju shook her head negatively and sighed.

"Chief, I must warn you right now that if you are not careful, you could lose use of that arm. I don't know how many times I have already treated it, but according to your medical records, that right shoulder of yours has been through, pardon my language, hell and back!"

"A cost for destroying the Covenant…" he bluntly replied. "It's a price for being a Spartan…"

"Satoshi, listen to me… You have to let it heal all the way… You've dislocated that joint at least forty-five times since you began this program, as well as tearing your deltoid due to overuse multiple times!"

The chief grumbled something then nodded. If anything, he hated it when civilians ordered him around, save for Dr. Catherine Halsey, but even then, he didn't like being ordered around save those who are of higher ranks in ONI and the UNSC. He stood up and left the room behind him as he massaged his loose shoulder. He was about to head towards the training room when he heard something above him. The rafters were very dim, making it really hard to see what was hiding in the shadows. However, there was always more than one way to flush out a Grunt…

He headed for the armory and pulled out the drawer containing the various grenades. The favorite of the Spartans, the M9 HV-HE grenades, nestled in their cardboard nests while the smaller flash bombs were huddled in a corner. Pulling two of these out, along with a length of wire, he walked back to where he had heard the noise, carefully tying the two grenades together in a bolo fashion.

Stepping lightly, Satoshi swung the contraption over his head in a full arc until it was humming a high tune. With a quick snap, the grenades flew into the dark corners and exploded. He quickly ducked behind a pillar and shielded his eyes. If he had his helmet, the lens would have been able to polarize itself for him to see well. Tanoak had just stepped on to the second level catwalk when he caught sight of the flash. He ran over and saw the chief blinking rapidly to clear the flash.

"Chief!" he shouted. "What's going on?"

As he approached him, he heard a yell above him and looked up.

"INCOMING!" someone shouted. "WATCH OUT BELOW!"

The explosives expert halted and looked up, only to black out temporarily as three hundred fifteen pounds of augmented flesh and bones came crashing on to him. Satoshi turned to look and chuckled softly.

"Ow…" the faller groaned. "Who turned on the lights…?"

Satoshi walked over and crouched over the young Spartan.

"So, you're the one who's been hiding up in the rafters…" he grinned, ruffling the youngster's ebony hair. "What were you doing up there? Practicing your sniping skills?"

Kyle looked up and blinked. He gave a very cheesy, yet nervous, grin as he crawled off a semi-conscious Tanoak. The older man groaned as he got to his knees.

"What in blazes…!"

He turned to see the young private and made a snatch for him.

"Get back here!" he growled, tripping over his feet from being disoriented by the collision as Kyle made his getaway. "I'll get you, Kyle!"

"Aiee!"

The chief smirked, heading towards the hangar to watch the engineers pack up the damaged vehicles to repair at the docking station.

The upper walls of the hangar were lined with magnetic docking hangers for the Pelicans and Longswords while the lower levels held the Warthogs and Wolverines. Below them were the Scorpions and a small handful of Warthogs running about. With the amount of damaged vehicles they had from the past wars and no time to find a place to get them formally repaired, it was a gracing period for them to find some downtime. However, this was quickly dampened when Geit appeared on a nearby holographic podium.

"Chief!" the AI shouted. "The Admiral wants you on the bridge right now!"

The officer nodded and jogged back to the upper levels and saluted upon entry.

"Admiral Whitten," he began. "Is something wrong?"

Whitten turned and nodded to Geit, who pulled up a video screen. Several people were on it, and where chasing several strangely clad creatures into the hills.

"Geit caught this video feed on the broadband not too long ago," he explained. "It seems that there is a local village in the Zerusesaro Mountain Range being overrun by Covenant-like creatures, but no one can say for sure. They've sent this distress beacon on our frequency, asking for assistance."

"So, it looks like the Covenant is also here…"

"Not entirely sure, but we did manage to enhance a very blurred clip," Geit continued as an image replaced the video feed. "It looks like it's in the shape of an Elite, but I cannot be too sure… Elites normally wear armor with protruding points, but this one doesn't seem to have it. Also, it seems that there were no other Covenant units present save for the Grunts, which are also clad in the same fashion as these Elites."

"Hmmm… I'm not going to let them destroy another homeworld…" the chief growled. "Get the engineers to prep several Pelicans and tell the Spartans to get ready! We're going in…"

With a nod, Geit glowed a pale orange as he sent the message to the Spartans alone. A small window appeared and about thirty-five little yellow lights blinked on the screen. The hailing had been acknowledged.

"All Spartans have been informed. Your teams will be waiting in the hangar."

"Good…"

The admiral saluted the Spartan as Satoshi fled the scene to prepare himself for anything. Heading to the equipments area, the teams were busy helping the other Spartans get into their suits, the ones from Team Rising Sun fully repaired from their battle on Ovid IX. It wasn't as good as new, but at least it was still functional. After an hour of preparations, the soldiers stood at attention as the chief walked down the line to inspect them. Each had their own weapons cache, as they did not know how many they were going to be facing. Better to be safe than sorry, that was for sure. The _Forbidden Evolution_ would not make planet fall until the repairs were complete. Until then, that left them with only the Pelicans and Longswords. They would take at least one Scorpion and a small handful of Warthogs. The Wolverines were a bit uncertain, as they did not have much knowledge of the terrain yet. All they knew was that it was going to be tough with a forest near this technological city…

Satoshi looked at his family, all of the armed to the teeth. They had split up into their teams, some added to others as they couldn't have too many teams scattered everywhere, and it needed to be balanced between the snipers and the close-quarter combatants. The Pelicans fired up their engines after the Scorpion and the 'Hogs were locked into place, and with the Spartans loaded into the bellies of these mechanical birds, accompanied by two Longswords, they stooped for the planet below.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES: _**_I will be gone for most of the summer, so this story will be dormant for about 3 months or so, but don't worry since I'll be working on it during the summer between school, job, and sleep. I'll post them during the fall season, after I get them proofread and whatnot... XD  
_

_Oh yeah, for those who didn't catch them, there are tons of references to well-known Halo artists in the _DeviantARTHalo. and Red vs. Blue_ communities in here. See if you can pick them out... Hehehe... In the meantime, have fun during your summer and live it to the max!_

_Lt. Jessie Jay Falcon _


	21. Chapter 20

_**A Calm Before the Storm**_

**Time: **1238 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **Onboard the UNSC ship _Warlord_, orbiting Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"Neala?"

"Yes, who it is?"

"It's me… Charlie… Can I come in?"

"Give me a moment…"

I had been in my quarters throughout most of the day, cleaning my weapons, as I had not done so after our last training session. Plus, I wanted to customize the weapons a bit so that it worked in my favor. Clad in only a black tanktop and black shorts, I pulled on my sweatpants and opened the door. There was Charlie, standing 2.4 meters without his suit, wearing a dark blue tanktop and matching shorts. I smiled a little and let him in.

"Don't mind the grease stains and scattered equipment," I joked, pulling out a rag to wipe away a stray splotch of oil from my desktop. "Haven't found time to clean it…"

"No worries," he replied. "I have the same thing in my room."

Both of us chuckled as I pulled up an empty chair while he sat on my bed.

"So, what's on your mind?"

He glanced about my plain cube of a room and let out a sigh.

"I've been thinking about what Chief Mendez told us before we left… About using and wasting people… I mean… The dead Marines and ODSTs… Our brothers and sisters who died during our time on Reach-II… How do we know if we are using and not wasting? It doesn't make sense to me."

"Hmm… You remember when we studied Lieutenant Colonel Custer and his last stand at Little Big Horn?"

"Yes… I remember that. He was foolhardy and rushed headfirst into a battle without analyzing the whole situation, and he did not regard his scouts with the respect they deserved."

"Yes, that would be wasting lives. You see, because of his decisions, he wasted the lives instead of carefully using them to their full potential, and as you can see, it led to a heavy loss…"

"But didn't it turn out good for us in the end?"

"To an extent, all it did was lead to more battles," I rebutted while reassembling my battle rifle. "Why fight many when one that can fully resolve is enough? It keeps the wasting of resources down to a minimum, no?"

"You have a point there…"

I closed my case and began to reassemble my M90. I knew Charlie's train of thought after working with him for so many years, but I also knew that he wanted to take that one crucial step to become the leader that he always wanted to be. It was as though a tiny flame was glowing, waiting to become a raging firestorm. I carefully selected my words.

"Charlie, if you're afraid of your decisions, then just follow your instincts… Sometimes it is best to go with them if not more than anything."

A few moments of silence passed as he dwelled on these words when he broke the calm with a question I was not ready to answer.

"How do you do it?"

I looked at him from my greased hands, slightly clueless.

"Do what?"

"Back on Reach-II during the survival training, how did you manage to get us all out of there? How did you manage to get everyone out, both the well and the wounded? How were you able to not waste any lives?"

Come to think of it, I never did look back on that day and wonder how I had pulled off such a feat. It was as though it was natural for me. All the training that Mendez had put us through, from the Flagstaff Campaign to the Namibia Cove Excursion, it was as though every tactic known to man had been programmed into me. For once, I did not have an answer…

"I… I don't know…" I whispered, putting down my shotgun. "It's as though it was only natural that I act upon the situation given…"

Charlie only nodded as he absentmindedly picked up one of the pistol's bullets and twilled it between his thumb and index fingers. He placed the ammunition on the table standing up and sighed.

"I know these are small missions, but I am afraid, Neala… I don't know what to do when the time comes that I must make a decision between life and death…"

"You'll know what to do, Charlie. I believe in you. After all, during our mission in the Tragedian Polar Zones, wasn't it you who helped lead everyone to the LZ while I was bringing back Team Sitco?"

"But I didn't do it alone. I had Pei and the others to count on."

"I know. That's the point, Charlie. You aren't doing this alone. We go in together; we come out together. You know the saying, 'Leave no man behind,' right?"

"Of course."

"Then we _won't_ leave a man behind… Everyone who goes in will come out…"

My teammate could only smile when he heard that, assured that I wasn't going to leave him behind. He caught me in a bear hug from behind, almost suffocating me. We laughed a little as we talked about our training days when a knock came at the door. Charlie left to answer it while I finished assembling the rifles and stashed them on to their wall mounts before slipping into something more in uniform, which were a pair of black slacks and a white, freshly-pressed collared shirt. I had just put on my shoes when the door slid away, little Kitty bounding in and hiding in my bed.

"Kitty?" I asked, fixing my hair a little and picking up my white cap. "What's wrong?"

My young pistol specialist peeked out, squeaking a little to reply.

"It's Tommy… He's at it again with his tails!"

"Not again…" Charlie chuckled. "Seems like that boy doesn't know when to stop with those dried pieces of flesh."

"I don't even know what to do with him when it comes time to battling and he can't leave without his good luck charm…" I mumbled, putting on my hat and helping Kitty out.

"He said he always keeps it inside his suit!" she chirped as we walked towards the mess hall for dinner.

"Ugh… Now that's just gross…" Charlie commented. "He's gonna stink up his whole suit before the sweat does!"

"Well, that's not our fault, is it?" I laughed as Kitty straightened out her shirt and readjusted her cap.

"I'll meet you in the mess hall in a few, ok?" he said, gesturing down another hall. "I have to get changed before entering, no?"

I nodded and turned back to Kitty, who was playing with her tiny blonde tail of hair forming from the base of her skull. For some reason, she just didn't want to cut that tiny lock off, save for trimming it to keep it at a certain length. It was a small part of her that always kept her separate from the others. Regardless, everyone had a small quirk about him or her that made him or her unique, not only in terms of combat but also outside of combat. I just found some of them more… interesting than others…

We had arrived at the hall, and everyone was already there, eating and talking merrily, some of stories of their training while others to see who could make the largest fib. After picking up a tray of fruits and some protein, I looked towards where Pei and the others were and met up with them. Pei had her dark hair shorn down to what she called 'peach fuzz.' Harper and Tobias had their hair grow out a little bit, but only to about six centimeters long. If it went past that, then Admiral Josiah Nathaniel Sheppard, our commander and admiral of the _Warlord_, would be going after them with a blade in hand, literally. He was a man of tradition, and any small deviation would result in some rather hard punishment. Then again, he did not care about such strictness for the Spartans, as we were only here as part of the offensive and defensive, not regular crewmen. The others had theirs at what was considered standard cut for the Marines, a crew cut. We enjoyed ourselves with stories, amusing the others with tales of our training when the ship's AI, Temujin, barked on the PA.

"SPARTAN-468, the Admiral wants you on the bridge before we dock."

Kitty pulled a face at the PA, murmuring something about the AI sounding like an old man. Then again, I thought the voice sounded a little like Chief Mendez. It was odd, but it reminded me of him a bit. Standing up, I cleared my space and headed directly to the bridge. I was not one to eat and run, but when duty called, I did not really have a choice. Not wanting to keep the Admiral waiting, I decided to take a shortcut and climbed up one of the support beams to the second floor. There, I dashed for the wall and pushed against it towards another pillar, only to jump to yet another pillar. I grabbed on to a thick pipe and swung myself on to the third level, taking a quick breather as I calmly walked on to the main deck.

The metallic doors slid away, and the control room stood before me. Several members turned briefly to see who had intruded, only to return to work. I approached the elderly admiral in a submissive fashion and saluted.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked in a very formal tone.

The admiral, a tall man with thick dark brows and dark eyes to match, turned to look at me. He was a well-built man of mid- to late-fifties with the hint of seeing many battles, either winning or retreating from them. However, I had heard that this man was a war hero, and that the decorations on his suit were just a fraction of what he really had acquired. For a Spartan who had successfully lead every mock mission, just looking at him made my knees weaken a bit, but I mustered my courage and stood at attention. This wasn't my first time meeting him in person, but just the aura, this atmosphere, that surrounded him, made everyone feel highly inferior to him. The holographic podium was disturbed slightly as an image began to appear. It was that of a Mongol from the ancient times of China. He sat there on the pad, fiddling with his bow. I took notice that there were three spots on the bow that glowed brightly. Odd, but it was worth taking note of for future references. After a few moments, Admiral Sheppard broke the silence.

"Looks like you'll be heading into your first real battle, 468…" he pointed out as a map of Uxxasr Omicron was projected on the screen. "But you won't be working alone. You will be taking your whole team down there and giving assistance to another group of Spartans."

"Another group, sir?" I quickly questioned as this surprised me a bit. "No one said that there would be another cadre here."

"Well, plans change as quickly as they are made, 468. Be sure to remember that, or else it could lead to horrendous failures."

Just the way he said it sent a shiver down my spine, but I answered as straight as I could.

"Yes, sir… I will remember, sir…"

"Good… Now, situated in the Zerusesaro Mountain Range is a base that the UNSC ship _Forbidden Evolution_ picked up and relayed to us…" The map of the planet zoomed into the mountains and revealed a crudely made camp. "…From what the local authorities have reported, there are grunts there, as well as several Elites."

"The Covenant…"

"Not quite. These were images that the _Forbidden Evolution_ sent us, and with the enhancements, they don't look like your normal Covenant units…"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"See for yourself… Temujin, bring up the video feed."

"Yes, sir…"

A screen came up and an image filled the white void, revealing a strangely clad Grunt.

"What in the name of the stars is it wearing…?" I muttered, staring at the strange putrid-brown armor and the oddly humped methane tanks. "Those… Those are Grunts, aren't they?"

"It's safe to assume so, but we're not too sure. Temujin has already fitted the Pelicans with Warthogs, so you will be combat-ready when you land. Your LZ is on the western side of the mountains while another group will be sent to the cover the south. The other Spartan teams down there are covering both the northern and eastern sides. Your objectives are to take over their base and capture as many units as possible. Keep damage minimal. We'll be landing at the Mellor Docking Station in a few hours. In the meantime, take this chance to prepare the teams for deployment. You have about five minutes when we arrive. Any questions?"

"Sir, no, sir!" I replied, snapping a salute.

"Don't let me down, 468… I am counting on you."

I nodded and turned heel, marching towards the door. I paused for a minute and looked at Temujin.

"Sir, permission to speak?"

The admiral turned and nodded.

"Temujin, order all the Spartans to get their gear on and meet me in the hangar for further briefing."

The rustic AI blinked at the fact that he was taking orders not just from a young officer, but a young _female _officer at that. He loathed it greatly to be ordered around by those of the opposite gender, but after getting a cold glare from Sheppard, he meekly complied and relayed the message throughout the ship. With a satisfying grunt from the Admiral, I quickly left his presence and headed for my quarters to retrieve my cleaned weapons before heading down to the armory to meet up with the rest of my team.

Charlie had already set up everyone with a battle rifle and all of them were waiting for me as the crew fitted the breastplate around me. It felt good being in armor again, but at the cost of the poor maintainers. The suit was heavy enough to crush them if they did not have the equipment to haul the heavy armor, but they got the task done, and I went on to spilt up our group into two teams.

"Harper will lead Tobias, Isis, Pei, Titus, and Rath while I take Tommy, Kitty, Brass, Charlie, and Carl," I began as our weapons caches were set in front of us. "We'll keep in touch using the private COMs, but other than that, keep to hand signals and don't give out your names to anyone, not even the SPARTAN-IIIs. Dr. Halsey pointed it out very clearly a week before we left Reach-II. We don't know how stealthy these guys are, so stay on your toes when we land. Harper!"

"Yes, Team Leader?"

"I want you to take a couple of the landmines with you and see if you can't set them in their base. It'll be like the time you went up against the Argent Squad."

"Ha! That's easier said than done!" he laughed. "They almost caught me with all the tracking equipment they had in there!"

"Well, we're up against a group of stinking Covenant dogs," Rath grunted, his reddish blonde hair glimmering a bit under the fluorescent lights. "If they had the sense of smell to match their canine forms, then I think they'd be able to find us, but other than that, they're as good as dead!"

Tommy gave a reverberating howl from inside his helmet, and laughed as he depolarized the lens so that everyone could see his dark face.

"I say we rip them up good…" he growled, baring his white teeth for fangs.

"Ok, you go do that, and I'll see to it that you're locked in a kennel for a week!" Kitty mustered, arms stretched out for the wolfen Spartan.

Tommy whimpered playfully as my young teammate got him into a headlock. We all laughed as we checked our weapons one more time and headed to the hangar, where our Pelicans were waiting. One by one, the Spartans boarded their respected ships while I was talking with Harper, Charlie, and Pei about our plans.

"Harper, your team will be dropped off from the southern side, so that means the sun will be playing against you until nightfall, which is in five hours," I explained. "We will head from the eastern side, which will also play against us as the Covenant units will have an easier time spotting us."

"I'll take Isis and Rath with me to scout ahead and make sure that the path is clear for our team," Pei volunteered as a holographic map of the terrain appeared. "Looks like there are tons of places for us to hide in, especially the trees."

"Might want to be careful about that though," Charlie warned as I noticed that the admiral was approaching us. "Who knows what those beasts are up to…"

I quickly stood at attention, and the others, even the ones on the Pelicans, follow suit.

"At ease," he gestured after saluting us. "468, I have this for you…"

He handed over a chip and I promptly inserted into the disk dock in my helmet and strapped it into place. It felt like a cold fluid had been poured down my neck and enveloped my whole body. I tensed slightly, only to hear a gruff voice in my mind.

"So, you are SPARTAN-468… The one that has the third highest scores in the UNSC for the sniper challenge, up there next to SPARTAN-058 and SPARTAN-384…"

I growled softly until the admiral held up his hand. I stood quietly, but with another entity in my mind, I was growing uneasy.

"468, what I gave you was a small program chunk of Temujin," he explained as I was still having a mental fight with the AI. "He will be assisting you while you are down on Uxxasr Omicron…"

I began to protest in a controlled manner as I loathed Temujin greatly. For an AI, he did not have an ounce of respect for my fellow comrades, Pei, Kitty, and the other female Spartans especially. He reminded me greatly of Randy, but even he confessed in the end. I let the words escape through gritted teeth.

"Sir, as much as I appreciate the help, I prefer that I work without an AI."

"Kid, you have a lot to learn," the Temujin clone laughed. "You're far from being able to work on your own. Trust me, I know…"

"Ok, you're the one who doesn't want to listen to my commands…" I hissed lowly.

"How about this… I listen to your commands, and you go change yourself into a guy…"

"WHAT?!"

I instantly pulled out the chip and shook my head. The coldness sloughed off, but I could still sense something tingling at the back of my mind. I handed the chip back to the admiral and stepped back.

"I am sorry, admiral, but I cannot accept an AI who has little respect for a female officer…" I spat as I looked at the others. "Let's move out."

The admiral glared at the chip and held it in his hand.

"I'll see to it that my program engineer fixes it…"

"Don't bother with it, sir… I prefer to not work with an AI…"

However, I had a feeling he was going to be waiting for me with that disrespectful program in hand. Our weapons cache has been lashed to the floor of the Pelican, and we geared up as we made last minute checks to our suits. The _Warlord _touched down on the docking station, and after about five minutes, the four Pelicans took off into the void, heading into the atmosphere of a possible war zone.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES: _**_I am sorry it took a while for me to get this up, but here it is. I'll be answering/replying to those who have commented soon. Still trying to get back into the swing of things. And yes, there are tons of new chapters that were made, at least 13 more. So yeah, hopefully, I'll be able to put at least a chapter up every week. Hope you enjoy!_

_Lt. Jessie Jay Falcon  
_


	22. Chapter 21

_**Under the Cover of Night**_

**Time: **1805 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Zerusesaro Mountain range, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

Several Pelicans flew in low with its belly full of troops. Team Rising Sun was sharing one with SPARTAN-301, SPARTAN-398, and SPARTAN-325. Their ranks and their last names had been engraved on to their shoulder pad, where others could see it without scanning or questioning verbally. The Marines with them were checking their weapons, hoping for the best while also praying for their own safety. Even those who did not believe in a higher, more supreme being were muttering words of some prayer for some comfort.

SPARTAN-384, Master Chief Satoshi Miyazaki, was assessing his team. SPARTAN-301, Bearach McKensie and SPARTAN-398, Treasa McKensie, were two of the Spartans that he had worked, or basically grew up, with during his time of training and were new additions to Team Rising Sun. It wasn't until they had been allowed retirement time when Bearach and Treasa had finally wed, but in secret. It was several years after their initial fights on Zanzibar and New Mombassa when they first met each other.

Bearach was the brute of the squad he was in; 'Gentle Giant' was what many of the others called him as he was the largest of all the Spartans in the SPARTAN-III project, towering at a good 2.8 meters. Treasa, on the other hand, was very small and lithe. Because of this, she was trained to be a scout and sniper, able to slip in and out without being seen by the enemy. She was also trained to be the forerunner of the group, making quick work of those in the turrets and those with heavy weapons.

The last one of the team was someone none of them were familiar with. Codenamed SPARTAN-325, Shizuka Watanabe was their other gunnery sergeant. They had heard that she had the eyes of a hawk and could easily kill any Covenant trooper within seconds with any weapon she was given. She was a sharpshooter, and considered to be one of the best. Both Randall and William were not skeptical of her skills, but they were curious as to how well she fared when working with other snipers.

Satoshi looked at the Marines. It looked like they had taken a bad beating on their last battle with packs of Jackals, Drones, and a handful of Grunts that were being led by four Brutes. The Jackals, Drones, and Grunts were turned into nothing but fodder. However, the Brutes were another issue. The whole squad would've been destroyed had they not arrive in time. He turned on a secure channel with his Spartan team members.

"Our objective is to keep the enemy from advancing any further…" he murmured. "I just got word that another set of Spartans is coming in to assist us. They will be coming in from the west and the south. We will be advancing the base from the east and north."

"Aye, Satoshi…" Bearach replied in a very low and gruff grunt. "Are they ones that we know?"

"No, they're from the SPARTAN-IV project, and they were just released a few days ago to start on their mission."

"Ha-ha! Younglings who are fresh out of the barracks!" he laughed. "This will get good and interesting, no?"

Satoshi remained silent as Treasa edged a little closer to the chief and rested her right hand on his left.

"Chief, is something wrong?" she asked quietly, a tone completely opposite of her husband's.

"Just thinking of how many kids actually survived that one…" he murmured. "If I had not stopped Halsey, my daughter would've died at her hands…"

"Halsey went after your daughter?" the gentle giant growled as he shifted the case of Jackhammer missiles resting under his feet.

"She did, but I doubt she got her… Especially since Neala is now dead… Got called back to fight, and a few weeks later… She's gone… But I will never forget her… She, along with my wife, is my reason why I am still here, fighting for humanity's freedom."

"Satoshi…"

"Chief!" the pilot of the Pelican interrupted. "We're approaching the LZ! Get ready because I'm not going to dock it! There is no space for this bird to land!"

"Roger that, _Scythe_!" he shouted over his speakers and standing up. "All right, men! Let pack up and move out!"

The Marines, now looking livelier than a few minutes ago, strapped on their gear and proceeded to jump into the overgrowth of the forest. Randall and William jumped down, leaving two sets of heavy prints in the soft dirt. They scanned about as the Marines climbed down to help secure the LZ. A rope fell through the branches, only to be followed by the crate of missiles for Bearach's launcher. The couple came down, followed by the rest of the team. Satoshi landed in a crouching position with a heavy, yet muffled, thud and stood up, looking to see if any of the Marines had suffered and injuries on the way down. Satisfied with what he saw, he checked the map with the help of Geit-II and split his team up. Bearach, Treasa, Shizuka, and half of the Marines would head southwest and then in towards the base to clear a path while the rest stayed with the remaining Marines, carefully watching their backs.

Satoshi pointed to the Marines and motioned for them to move out. William and Randall took point while the Marines ran behind them, rotating every now and then to keep from drawing too much attention, and able to keep themselves aware of their environment.

Tanoak and Andes had been put in charge of the other team with the other four Spartans landing on the eastern side of the base. He knew those two would be fine on their own, and if they needed anything, it was easy enough to just radio on the COM system. They could hear shots ring out now and then from the western direction, signaling that Team Alpha was doing their job. They jogged for a good mile or two when Randall motioned for everyone to stop. Satoshi acknowledged this and ordered his men silently to hide in the grass while the two gunnery sergeants went up ahead to scout things out. As they did, the chief monitored each of the Marine's vitals. They were battered, but they had the hearts of lions to continue with their duties in the shape they were in. Regardless, these were men of valor, and he respected that.

In and out, Randall and William wove through the branches, using their HUD to communicate as they drew closer and closer to the NAV point. They stared through their scopes and found that the other teams had arrived and were surrounding the perimeter. Sending a silent flag, Randall set up his sniper as Satoshi and the others arrived. The chief leapt into the trees where his sergeants were and opened up a private channel.

"Are the SPARTAN-IV's here yet?" he asked as the Marines prepared the explosives.

"Not yet…" William replied. "If they were, we would've heard from them…"

"Then we wait…" the commander replied. "In the meantime, tell the others to sit tight, but stay frosty. We don't know what heat they're packing…"

"Roger that, Chief!"

* * *

**Time: **1827 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Zerusesaro Mountain range, 1 km from 'Covenant' Base, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"This is Red Team Leader to Blue Team… Do you hear me loud and clear, over?"

"This is Blue Leader, Red Leader. We hear you loud and clear, over!"

"Roger that! Red Leader to Green Team, do you hear me, over?"

"This is Green Leader. We hear you loud and clear!"

"Roger that! Red Leader to Black Team, do you copy?"

"Roger that, Red Leader. We have you on our COM."

"Good. Black Leader, await signals from Blue Team once they have infiltrated the parameter. Once you see them, head inside and get that firework set for twenty minutes. Everyone else, await my signal and tranq the guards when you see them. The Brass will certainly be pleased if we can capture a few of these units to see how they tick…"

"Roger that, Red Leader. We'll be going under cloak."

"Then let OPERATION: NIGHT SHROUD begin…"

I sat in the trees with Kitty and Tommy, staring at the base. So far, this mission was going smoothly. We had turned off our indicators to avoid any detection by the Covenant units, but that would also mean that the SPARTAN-IIIs that were here would have trouble identifying us. I shook my head. This was one mission I could not blunder, so I kept myself quiet as I stared down my scope.

I could hear my heart beating rapidly, to the point that it was pounding in my ears. One would think that I was used to this, but this was a live mission, meaning that everything was for real, and one slip would result in heavy consequences. I shook my head slightly and stood up.

"We better move out…" I murmured lowly. "Blue Team is already at the perimeter disabling their security systems. We'll need to move in and get ready. Kitty, you have your new pistol?"

"Yep!" the young Spartan trilled. "And the nice engineer gave me a second one for even more fun!"

"You mean you bugged him for it," Tommy teased. "You know how long she's been pestering poor Arnold for one? That's why he made two for her!"

I looked at the magnum, grinning behind my polarized visor. Kitty never did like the old M6C or the M6D, so she had asked the weapons expert to create a specialized gun for her. After several trials and errors, they had modified the M6D so much; it was almost functioning like a mini sniper rifle. Of course, the scope was still kept at 2x, but with the gun so much more efficient, Kitty was much more deadly in close combat situations.

We had been loaded with tranquilizers and flash bombs, as we had commands to take over the base and be as least destructive as possible. Of course, I followed this rule down to the letter, but I wasn't too sure if the older Spartans we were to work with got the message. Regardless, we were to do our part and they theirs. We activated our cloaking and proceeded towards the entrance when we heard the explosion. We ducked behind a stack of what we assumed to be their supply crates and waited as several units headed towards the direction of the disturbance.

I pointed to Tommy and motioned for him to make sure the entrance was empty. With the help of the darkness, we were like the ninjas of Japan on Earth. We were stealthy… We were silent… We were deadly… The only difference was that we had guns with tranquilizers while the assassins of the past had steel stars and blades.

I watched as his form melted into the ebony canvas. All I could do was wait until he gave the acknowledging signal. A few minutes later, the light appeared on my HUD, and Black Team was already on their way. The suits we had also integrated an infrared setting, so we were using that to our advantage. That was when we noticed that there were several figures hiding in the trees while groups of them sat on the ground. Growling softly, I sent a warning signal to all my units to watch their backs. If anything, if these were Covenant dogs waiting to ambush us, they were wrong…

* * *

**Time: **1857 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Zerusesaro Mountain range, 1 km from 'Covenant' Base, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"What the hell was that?!" Bearach growled. "Do they know we're here?!"

"I don't think so," Shizuka murmured in reply. "They would be shooting, but they aren't. It seems like the SPARTAN-IVs that the Chief was talking about are here already."

"You copy that, Chief?" Treasa asked quietly.

"Loud and clear… But why did we not detect them?"

"Cloaking and turning off their indicators possibly…" Shizuka replied. "They don't want to be detected by the Covenant. I have a feeling that they are infiltrating the place with little resistance as there was no gunfire or disturbances other than that explosion."

"Stealth fighters…" Randall commented. "Spec ops?"

"Probably, but fresh out of the barracks?" Bearach chuckled.

"You can never underestimate any Spartan," Andes spoke up. "Regardless of experience, they are capable of doing what we do."

"Enough talk, guys. We'll wait and see what these guys do, and then we'll head in."

"Roger that, Chief!" all of them replied in unison.

"Geit, scan the entire area and see if you can pick up anything."

"On it, sir."

"Time to bring hell to this place…"

* * *

**Time: **1903 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Zerusesaro Mountain range, 1 km from 'Covenant' Base, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"Red Leader, this is Black Leader. Black One and Black Two have successfully placed the fireworks. Proceeding to exit for further commands."

"Acknowledged, Black Leader. I need you to watch the entrance while my team does a little scouting. Blue Leader, you're in charge until further notice."

"Roger that, Red Leader. Good luck."

I looked at Kitty then at Tommy. Making minute motions, we headed off in the direction of the heat mass. I heard a click, followed by Tommy's voice.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"I want to check something out…" I replied, keeping my focus on the mission. "If they are Covenant units, we take them down fast…"

"And if not?"

"Then we'll see…"

We scrambled for the trees and sat there, watching intently while carefully crossing over the bushes. By the time we were within a hundred meters, we were relieved to see a pack of humans instead of the Elites, Brutes, or any other enemy life form.

"They're friendlies," Kitty sighed in relief. "Looks like they're with the other Spartans, but I don't see them."

"Probably hiding like us, but let's get back to our position… We need to get ready to head in."

I nodded and we dashed off back to our point, glad that we only had a few units to worry about.

"All right, teams… Wait for the explosion and move in! Knock out any units you see upon arrival, but no killing unless necessary!"

"Roger that, Red Leader!"

This was going to be one hell of a mission.

* * *

**Time: **1927 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Zerusesaro Mountain range, 1 km from 'Covenant' Base, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"What was that…?!"

Satoshi looked down at the Marines from his perch. This one's heart was racing like a runaway Warthog, and it concerned him greatly.

"Private Kalos, is something wrong?"

"I thought I heard something, sir…" he murmured lowly, pointing his assault rifle into the air.

"Keep cool," another Marine replied. "Don't need you to go crazy on us."

"No, I swear I heard something in the trees over there!"

He was pointing to a clump while another stood slightly and made his way over in that direction. He looked up into the branches, only to see some scuff marks. He ran his hands over them and shivered. He returned to the waiting group.

"Chief, I think we had company…"

William dropped out of the tree.

"What? They were spying on us?"

"Seems so, sir…"

"We better move…" Randall suggested.

"We split up…" Satoshi decided. "Randall, take a third and head north. William, you take another third and head south… I'll take the others and head south then northwest. Stay alert. For all we know, they could have snipers waiting for us."

"Roger that, Chief…"

The two gunnery sergeants took their share of the Marines and proceeded as planned. Suddenly, the whole base glowed brightly with an explosion to match. Battle cries could be heard as the units inside ran about hectically, trying to put of the fires.

"Looks like the party has started!" Satoshi shouted. "Let's go!!!"

"You heard the chief!" the other Spartans shouted at their troops. "MOVE IN!!!"

The Marines let out their own war cry and engaged the enemy.

* * *

**Time: **1945 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Zerusesaro Mountain range, 'Covenant' Base, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

One by one, the units were knocked out as the young Spartans ran into the base and tranquilized the so-called Elites. These were harder to deal with, as they were much faster than the Grunts. Neala watched as Pei and the other snipers were firing from a distance as cover fire. The whole base was thrown into chaos as they fought fiercely. It wasn't until the leader heard several gunshots that were not of her own units, taking at least two hits and thrown into a wall by a large explosion following.

"RED LEADER!" Kitty shouted, running towards her fallen friend. "All units, this is Red Three! The Leader is down! I repeat: Red Leader is down! Proceed with caution! All sniper units give cover fire!"

Tommy growled as his cloaking was now disabled from a stray fire of a Needler. The Covenant units saw Tommy and charged; only to have a storm of metal needles pierce their flesh and disabling them. The SPARTAN-III units continued fire until Shizuka shouted through the COM system.

"Chief! The SPARTAN-IVs are in there and we've accidentally hit some of them! They were under cloaking and were already in the base!"

"Watch your fire and only shoot at anything that isn't human!"

Every team, the SPARTAN-III with the Marines and SPARTAN-IV, had moved in, firing at anything that moved and wasn't Marine or Spartan. Satoshi and Bearach were fighting off the units from both distance and close quarters, trying to overtake the base. With the sheer inhuman power that Bearach possessed, it was impossible for the formidable Elites to take him down. Several Banshees took to the skies, raining down fuel rods on the units below. The snipers tried to take them out, but at the speed they were going and where the snipers were located, it was very difficult. All of a sudden, the fliers exploded and were sent careening into the forest, a trail of smoke tailing in their wake. Satoshi looked up and gave an acknowledgment.

"Nice shot, Alpha Sniper!"

Shizuka raised a brow and looked over her scope to check her ammunition. All her bullets were still intact.

"Uh… That wasn't any of us, sir…" she calmly replied in confusion.

"One of the SPARTAN-IVs?"

"Doesn't seem like it from the direction of the ion trail…"

"Then who the-"

Just then, another voice interrupted their system. It was a little scratchy, almost like an old communications system running it, but Geit was able to filter it out.

"Someone need backup?" the voice asked as another Banshee was shot down.

"Wait, who is that on our COM?!"

"I'm tracing it, but you are not going to believe this, Chief," Geit replied.

Several Grunts jumped out of nowhere and came down on Satoshi, only to be picked off by both live and tranquilizer shots. The chief quickly got out of the way and fired his own volleys at several more of the Elites.

"At this rate, nothing surprises me anymore!"

"Sir, it's SPARTAN-351…" The Chief froze. "And that's not all… He has three others with him, and they also match several in the Spartan database who were marked MIA/KIA…"

"Who?!"

"Along with 351, Spark-317, Chad-341, and Kat-365 are with him."

"That's…"

"Chief! Behind you!"

An Elite clad in gold armor was in the air, energy blade in hand. Satoshi turned and unloaded a magazine into the body, watching it drop like dead weight, but what he didn't see was that another had crept up from behind. He turned, only to stare at the glowing green plasma pistol. He froze, waiting for the shot, but the Elite fell to its knees, twitching. The Chief stepped back and regained his composure as he stared at the feathered dart protruding from the dog's neck. He looked up and saw a Spartan, still posed there with the unloaded pistol in hand. The armor was greatly dented and charred and the helmet gone, yet there the soldier stood, blood trickling down the burned face, still fighting.

"You ok there, Chief?" a voice chirped on his COM in a warped tone.

He gave a thumbs-up and watched as the Spartan limped away and melted into the darkness again, continuing the battle.

"Who was that, Geit?" he asked, picking up the energy sword and slicing a Grunt in half, blood and methane splattering everywhere.

"Checking the database, but all I'm getting is SPARTAN-468."

"468…? A SPARTAN-IV…?"

"Indeed, sir."

"We'll find out more about this later. For now, we fight! RUSH THE BASE!!!"

The Marines hollered as they opened fire on those that were still standing. Within thirty minutes, the fighting had died down, and the Marines were gleaning whatever weapons could be salvaged while the SPARTAN-IV's were gathering the bodies of the sleeping/paralyzed units, shackling and keeping them in tight lockdown.

The chief looked around and saw a group of Spartans gathered at the edge of the camp. Most of them had also taken some heavy damage from friendly fire, but none of them were injured too badly. Concerned about the one who had been caught in the explosion, as well as the one who had saved his life, he walked over. The others moved out of the way and saluted, as he was the highest ranking amongst them. He held out his hand to put them at ease and knelt down to get a better look at the injured soldier.

The armor, once a lustrous sage green, was deeply blackened and dented, heavy damage done mostly to the helmet. However, despite the damage, he could still see the Spartan's call number imprinted into the shoulder: 468. This was the same one that had saved him earlier. He rested a hand under the soldier's chin and lifted it up to get a better look. The blood had been cleaned off, but for sure, heavy scars would remind the fighter of the battle. A plasma burn streaked across the left cheek while a heavy cut was gashed across the bridge of the nose. Yet, there was something about this 'boy' that tugged at his heart.

"You ok there, son?" he asked.

"'Son?'" one of the SPARTAN-IVs snickered, but quickly caught himself before disrespecting the senior officer completely. "Sir, sorry to correct you, but SPARTAN-468 is a girl, and the highest female ranking officer in our division."

"My mistake," he quickly apologized, standing up as a pair of Spartans made their way to the assumed leader. "I did not mean to call her a boy…"

"It is quite all right, sir," the injured Spartan replied, wincing slightly as she looked up. "Are you ok, sir?"

"Yeah, just wanted to thank you for that shot back there, and make sure that your units are doing ok."

"Well, we do look after our own, even if we are generations apart, sir… All my units have been accounted for. Slight injuries here and there, but none fatal."

"Are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine, sir, but I'm not too sure about your Marines. Some of them were caught in our fire, but if they are asleep, then that is ok. If they are dead, then you can blame it on these Covenant dogs, or possible friendly fire. We didn't use any live rounds for this mission since we were given orders to capture them, but I see that some of them were killed due to your error."

"Well, we were not given order to take prisoners."

"Then I am sorry about intruding on your mission for even I did not know that you were already here until our admiral told us last minute, sir."

"Sir…" Geit whispered. "I can access some of 468's files, but her birth name isn't found at all…"

"Odd…" Satoshi murmured under his breath. "Keep working on it."

SPARTAN-468 stood up shakily with the support of Spartans 417 and 475. He could see blood flowing from her side, as well as a small pool welling up and trickling down her neck.

"We'll take her to the medic, sir," 417 replied, carefully letting 468 lean on her.

"Yeah, we'll stay with her until the doc says she's good to go, sir," 475 added. "You can count on us, sir!"

"Alright, Spartans. Take care of her. I'll check in when we're done here."

"Sir! Yes, sir!"

The two headed off to the landing Pelican and waved their arms, jumping into the hovering craft and disappearing over the trees.

* * *

**Time: **2015 hours

**Date: **May 31, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Zerusesaro Mountain range, Enroute to Mariwasha Falls, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

I hissed softly as Kitty administered the biofoam into my side. It stung momentarily, but it felt as though several thousand bees were attacking my wounds. During the fight, I had taken in several hits, one of them actually breaking through my helmet's seal and knocking it off. Another had entered through my side, pinging against a rib. Tommy had managed to pull the slug out, his black-gloved hands slick with blood. Kitty took off her helmet and Tommy followed suit.

"Neala, are you going to be ok?" she whimpered.

I held out my hand with a thumbs-up and grinned, the scar stretching a bit and pulling on the wound slightly. It stung as she placed a piece of gauze soaked with antiseptics against the opened flesh.

"It's going to take more than two armor-piercing bullets to take me down," I laughed, coughing a bit.

I could taste my own blood in my mouth and turned to my side to spit it out.

"Neala!" Tommy shouted, administering several more painkillers into my bloodstream to ease the throbbing. "You should take it easy until we can get some proper treatment."

I nodded and closed my eyes for a bit. At least I did not lose anyone in my family, but what about the Chief? He probably lost several of his Marines during that firefight, but were they considered part of his family? I let my consciousness settle deep into the confines of my mind. It was a place I went to only at night, but right now, I had to think over what had just happened.

It went by so fast…

I could barely keep track of what happened. It was bad enough that I had not paid attention to the incoming rocket, but other than that, it seems that my team had pulled of a successful mission. However, there was also the account of the dead Covenant units. I was ordered to take them as hostages for interrogation, but when the Chief came in, several were killed. Would they count that against me as we were ordered to not kill? For once, I felt nervous about my mission. And what about Charlie? Was he ok after all of that? He was the one who concerned me the greatest, as he doubted his leadership skills. I always believed that he was capable of anything, even in the toughest of situations. I had to find out, but for now, the top priority was getting me fixed and back on the field.

I felt myself being lifted with great caution. Trying to keep my head from moving too much, they had placed a temporary neck brace and began to hook me up to various equipments. I stayed calm as they went to work on removing the ceramic titanium plating. The clanking of tools reminded me of when we had first put these suits on. The first time we wore them, we were weighed down, but soon, we had adjusted to it. Now, it was the staff trying to get it off to mend my wounds. My comrades were left in the waiting room as I was wheeled into the emergency room for treatment.


	23. Chapter 22

**_But I Thought You Guys Were the Bad Guys?!_**

**Time: **0015 hours

**Date: **June 1, 2562 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Zerusesaro Mountain range, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

Satoshi was scouting his troops and assessing the damage they had taken. So far, there were no casualties, but from the looks of the tranquilizers the SPARTAN-IVs had used, they were going to be out for a long while. These drugs the glass bullets held were meant to even hold down an ODST for several hours. The rest of the Marines from _Forbidden Evolution_ had arrived, along with those from _Warlord_, and began to secure the place. The chief went into the base, where the sleeping captives were now just waking up, one or two holding a conversation with one of his men. He approached them cautiously, catching part of their talk.

"Look," the strangely clad Elite growled in not-so-perfect standard human language. "We are not here to fight you, but we are here to stop the others from getting their hands on a crystal that is located here in this city. That is why we have built a base in your mountains."

"But it does not explain why you have attacked the inhabitants of this place," Kyle replied, twirling a plasma pistol around his finger. "Or why your armor is different…"

The Elite bowed his head.

"We are known to the Covenant as Heretics because we defy what the Prophets have taught. We believe them all to be falsehoods, lies that twist the minds of those who are not sharp. However, we did not mean to harm the human inhabitants here… You see, the Covenant are here looking for the crystal that will point them to the location of the final Halo… Without it, they cannot find it, unless by sheer luck, they just happen to 'jump' into it…"

"So I see, but it still does not explain your actions."

"Our supplies were running low, so we had to find a way to replenish our stock," another Heretic Elite spoke up. "We had sent our Grunt scouts to fetch our needs when you came along and intercepted our caravan. We were in dire need, so we attacked you to get what we wanted."

"But it doesn't explain why you are against the Covenant… You are always beside them, killing our men…" Satoshi growled.

"_Were_…" the one who seemed to be the leader answered, stepping out from behind the others. "We were once part of the Covenant Armada until the Brutes came and took over, corrupting our civilization, and taking over our holy positions, until we found what the Halos were really capable of…"

"So you know that these ancient relics that these Forerunners are weapons of mass destruction?"

"Yes… The Arbiter, along with Former Commander Half-Jaw, told us everything when they returned to where were exiled to…"

"The Arbiter?" Tanoak inquired as he stepped in with the hourly report. "You mean the Elite with the strange armor?"

"Please, we prefer to be called Sangheili rather than the term 'Elite' that you humans have dubbed us."

"Fine, but before we continue on," Satoshi interrupted, "I must know if you have a name… I find it awkward communicating with another without proper introductions…"

"My name is Zata Rakalee, former commander of the Royal Guards who have protected the Prophets since the discovery of Halo…"

"A Royal Guard?" another voice scoffed. "I've dealt with your kinds over and over, and they are all the same…"

Everyone turned to see where the voice was coming from, only to see a battle-scarred ODST standing at the front entrance. Satoshi growled under his breath as the sergeant approached them.

"Günter, this is not your affair," the chief snarled. "You leave this to me."

"Hell, Chief, they're all the same…" the ODST snapped. "Cold, blood-thirsty killers who do nothing more but slaughter the innocent… They even killed Utrecht on Ovid IX!"

The Elites looked at him, one with a sympathetic look in his dark eyes.

"I assure you, human, but we did not do that, and if it was a Sangheili, he was on the wrong side…"

"I don't care… You will die, bastard… Even if I-"

"Günter! Enough!"

Günter looked up and snorted as Satoshi turned towards Tanoak.

"Tanoak, please escort the 'kind' sergeant out so that I may continue this matter?"

"Yes, sir."

The seven-foot Spartan walked over, looming over the six-foot sergeant.

"This way…" he murmured, motioning for the door with his battle rifle.

The sergeant growled.

"You've made a mistake not killing them, Satoshi!"

"I'm afraid that another order was given from an admiral higher in the chain of commands, and as such, I will not disobey it anymore than what I have already done! And you will learn to keep your tongue still when in the presence of a higher officer!"

The sergeant forcefully saluted and was ushered out by the explosives officer.

_Some higher rank he turned out to be…_ the sergeant thought as he left the room, proceeding with cleanup. _I might as well hang myself naked in front of the Covenant than follow you…_

Satoshi sighed and turned to Zata.

"I apologize for such treatment…"

The Sangheili held up his hand and shook his head

"It is understandable that your kind hates us for the wrongs we have done," another one of the Sangheili replied. "Especially with the mass destruction of your people, but we wish to right them by destroying the final Halo before the Covenant finds it… With the Ark destroyed, the only way to activate the Halo is by going to the artifact itself and turning it on manually…"

"Hmm… I will need to speak with my men about letting you out, even if you seem to be against the Covenant."

"Do not bother, human, for we are safer here with a barrier between your kind and ours…"

"Very well, and my name is Satoshi, master chief of the Spartans that are before you…"

Zata bowed lowly and stood up again while looking at his fellow kinsmen and units.

"Thank you, Satoshi, for you have shown mercy to us. We are in great debt to you…"

"Actually, it was not I but another whom you need to thank when she returns…"

The chief left Bearach and Treasa to stand guard and stepped out, taking off his helmet as a cool breeze blew by. It felt refreshing, yet he was also very worried about SPARTAN-468, not to mention very curious as to why her files were locked. He was about to sit down when someone called out his name.

"SATOSHI!"

He turned, only to be stuck completely dumbfounded by the person calling his name.

"Satoshi…" the man clad in a more primitive MJOLNIR greeted. "How long has it been? Ten, twenty years?"

"Augustus…" the chief hailed breathlessly, both in shock and disbelief. "It can't be… All those years? What happened? Why didn't you report in? The UNSC has you marked MIA…"

The lost brothers headed to a more secluded place, away from the other Spartans and Marines. They found several boulders perched at the edge of camp, and stood behind them for a private chat.

"Satoshi," Augustus began. "Decades have flown by slowly since we last saw each other on the _Steel Griffon_, but to tell the truth, I never did like the war life… After we were sent off to Amezimi, all of us were sent into cryo for the long trip, as it would take us several months to reach our destination. We were attacked midway, and only some of us were woken up. I, however, was not one of them… Our ship, _Zeus' Thunder_, was destroyed by a wandering Covenant dispatch, meant to seek out human colonies, but they found us. The few of us still in cryo were sent drifting when the ship exploded, scattering us. I don't know how long I was up there or where the others drifted off to, but I ended up here, only to be awakened by three other Spartans. I found out from them that the war had 'ended,' and that they were retiring. I decided to stay with them and have been here since…"

"But why didn't you report to the UNSC?"

"Satoshi, even if I am a Spartan, I was always a lover, not a fighter. After finding out that those other three had locked ONI out of everything about them, I decided to do the same and didn't report my status. We still got information feed from the system, so that was how we found out that we were all coined MIA. We didn't want to go back to hell, Satoshi. We prefer the quiet life here in the mountains."

"But why appear now after years of hiding?"

"Because, we heard that the Covenant were up to no good here and were tracing them for several weeks now. We didn't know if you guys were coming, and we did not want to expose ourselves. However, when you arrived, along with the others, we couldn't bear to see our fellow brothers and sisters in arms lose a fight. I know you guys could handle it on your own, but we couldn't just sit there and watch. So we joined in."

Satoshi bowed his head in a grave-like manner and shook it slightly. He rested his hand against the wall of the mountain for support.

"I don't understand your actions… You've been alive all this time?"

"Yes…"

"How have you been thriving?"

"We live in the city, creating ourselves new identities… Creating a new life… We hid all our armor and weapons in a cave that only we can access since it's very difficult to get up there without proper training, plus, it was hidden deep in the bowels. We work like normal people, Satoshi, but enough about me. What has happened to you during that time of peace? I'm sure you and that girlfriend of yours, Cassy, got married, and if not, at least engaged."

Satoshi's eyes widened at the mention of his wife and felt his stomach turn inside out. He felt weak and leaned completely against the wall. Augustus saw this and stepped back.

"I'm sorry if-"

"No…" the chief cut off mid-syllable. "We were wed on EC-468 when we got the chance…"

Sensing this as an 'ok,' Augustus gently pressed on the matter.

"And how is she, if I may ask?"

"Not too well, I'm afraid… She is not coping too well with me being gone and the loss of our daughter…"

"You had a daughter?"

"Yeah… Neala… She died a few weeks after I was called back to war… Some local bandits decided to kidnap her, killing her when Cassandra was firing to protect her… Now all I have left is my wife… You know how hard it is for a Spartan to have a child…"

"Well, it's not like I have a girlfriend, but I understand what you mean…"

"She was the core essence of what I was… The innocence I still had before I was whisked away to become a war machine…"

"Satoshi, what happens in the past is done… You can't change it."

The chief sighed and completely dropped his shoulder into a hunched slouch.

"You're right… But it's just that… Even though I saw her buried that day, it's as though the Creator is trying to tell me something, that there was something I overlooked… There is something that keeps tugging on me, especially during our battle…"

"What do you mean?"

The chief stood up in a more rigid manner, as though something had suddenly given him energy.

"During our fight, one of the Spartans had come to my aid before an Elite could spear me with his blade…"

"And…?"

"There's something about SPARTAN-468 that really touched me…"

"You mean the way he fought?"

"'She'… I learned from someone in her squad that 468 is a girl."

"Whoa… A female leader? Odd, but cool…"

"Ok, no going after her, ok? For all we know, she could be just 18…"

"Ok, so no engaging during this situation…"

"Augustus…"

"Just messing with you, chief. Lighten up a bit."

"Yeah… I guess, but there is something about her. The glint in her eyes and the way she moved… The ferocity she had despite her injuries… There is something familiar about her…"

"Bah… Satoshi… You're letting this war get to your head…" the former Spartan chuckled, pointing to his own head and tapping it a few times. "Seriously, how long ago have you had your last drink?"

"Never?"

"Exactly! Now, come on… I'll take you to a place where we can hang out and catch up!"

"Augustus, I am on duty, and I can't leave my men unsupervised. Besides, my admiral will be here soon…"

"Afterwards?"

"Depends…"

"Always the dampener…"

"Augustus… Just return…"

"No way, Satoshi. I am not returning. If you want to meet up with me later, find me on the COM. I'm still tuned to the older channel…"

With that, the Spartan jumped behind another set of boulders and disappeared. Satoshi sighed and scratched his head. He picked up his battle rifle, only to stare at the mountain.

"How long have you been listening…?" he asked to seemingly nothing.

However, someone peeked over the boulder behind him.

"You heard me?" the person asked.

"Kyle, you breathe too hard, and you're a little loud when it comes to walking…"

The youngster sat on the large rock, his unkempt hair flying wildly in the wind.

"Not my fault… It's because of this heavy suit…"

"Just work on those stealth skills and you'll be better in no time."

"Thanks, Chief. Oh yeah, Admiral Whitten just arrived and is looking for you! He wants a full status report ASAP!"

"Tell him I'll be there in a few…"

"Yes, sir!"

The Spartan scampered off while the senior officer stepped out.

"Geit, any luck with 468's information?"

"I'm afraid not… None of the names of the members of the SPARTAN-IV project are showing up, and I do not have authority to access them."

"What? But you have all access to the most basic of data ONI can release! Surely you can find her name…"

"Sorry, but all I get for a SPARTAN-IV unit are the number, age, gender, weight, height, specialties, and their medical records."

"Do the records have their name? They are supposed to…"

"I am afraid not… Only their numbers appear…"

"This is very strange… Perhaps just a misallocation of data…"

"I think not… The names are locked down and require a password, along with biometric scans, to open…"

"Damn… What is ONI hiding this time?"

"I don't know, but I'm afraid if I go any further, I will break security protocols…"

"Then don't mind, Geit… I'll find another way to find that information."

"Or you could just ask for her name."

"True…"

Satoshi stepped out from behind the boulders and promptly jogged back to the base. He entered the structure, and not only met Admiral Whitten but also Admiral Sheppard. He quickly stood down and saluted.

"Admiral Whitten and Admiral Sheppard, sirs!" he greeted. "I trust that your journey here was a smooth one?"

"At ease," Whitten motioned, smiling a bit as the senior admiral nodded subtly. "It was a little rough inbound, but it is nothing that two veterans can't handle."

"Very well, sirs."

"I trust you have a status report for us?" Sheppard asked as he looked at the Elites that were eyeing him suspiciously.

His cold hard glare pierced through their dark eyes, and they stepped back as his hands absent-mindedly reached for a dagger on his belt.

"Yes, I do," replied Satoshi as Geit appeared on a portable holographic image projector and a list came up. "When we started, we did not know that the SPARTAN-IV units had arrived and were given orders to take over the base. We managed to change the order slightly, but we still have some KIA. We have ten Marine casualties, most from the Elites, but we also had some stray friendly fire… It was dark, and even with the lights, it was hard to shoot as the Marines were moving too quickly and got in our way when the snipers tried to hit their targets. Several were caught in the splash damage left by both the grenades and rockets. Injuries are at twenty, but we also have a Spartan who has suffered heavy injuries and is in the nearby city getting treatment."

"Which Spartan?" Sheppard asked.

"468…"

"The team leader… Petty Officer First Class SPARTAN-468."

"Yes… But I do owe her my life for saving mine. I just hope that whatever injuries she sustained will be mended quickly. Admiral Sheppard, sir, a quick question since you are commander of the SPARTAN-IV squad."

"Go ahead, Master Chief."

"468… Do you know her name?"

The admiral shook his head.

"No… I'm afraid I don't know any of the names of the Spartans other than their call numbers. Besides, it's easier for me to remember their ranks and numbers than by names."

"Oh… Thank you, sir…"

"Now, about the Elites?"

"Sir, they prefer to be called Sangheili."

"Sa-whatever… What about them? Did you get any information?"

"Yes… They call themselves the Heretic Rebellion Force, opposing any Covenant units that come in here."

"But why are they here?"

"They said that they're here to protect a crystal located in the city… It's supposed to point to where the location of the final Halo is."

"But what about the star charts that you found on Ovid IX?" Whitten asked as they headed outdoors, only to see several tents being set up and a handful of men still up and about while the others were sleeping. "I thought they were the answers to where this Halo is."

"Possibly only a fragment of where it is actually located, sirs," Geit replied, now enlarging himself and using the suit's projection system to 'physically' be in their presence.

"Explain…"

"For one, the star charts are not matching with any of the other charts ONI has. Second, this crystal could be a key that leads to some ancient gate to this final ring world. Either way, I can't find any more information on the final Halo save for what I have reported…"

"That will do, Geit… Chief, have the men rotate every hour to keep them rested. We'll head into the city at 0900 hours and find this crystal that the Covenant is hunting for. Surely if a resistance force is here, then the Covenant knows that what they seek is also here."

"Will do, sir, but I must head into the city myself and check on 468. I have already told the other two units with her that I would check in when I finished settling business here."

"A man of your own words…" Sheppard acknowledged. "So the stories about you are true… You really are a man of your own words… Then granted, go check on 468 and the other two units with her."

"Yes, sirs."

"And don't bother returning," Whitten added lightly. "We will meet you in the city."

"But, sirs."

"It'll be all right, Satoshi. I trust the other members of your team to do their job as needed."

"Very well, sirs…"

The chief turned and left their presence, searching out for his teammates. As soon as he did, he gave them a simple list of commands and hopped on to the next Pelican outbound for the city. The only thing was that he wasn't alone on this flight. Standing at the entrance, one hand on the frame of the Pelican while another was hanging at his side was another Spartan. He watched as this one sat at the farthest seat, not wanting to draw attention. Satoshi scanned the suit, only to realize that it was another SPARTAN-IV unit.

"You all right there?" the chief asked, only to have the young fighter raise a crisp salute despite the air about him.

"I'm fine, chief. Just worried about Ne- I mean… SPARTAN-468…"

The chief looked up in hope to get some sort of answer to the questions he had.

"She has a name, no?"

"We don't call each other by names…" he lied. It made him feel uncomfortable, but Dr. Halsey was considered their mother, and even if a master chief was talking to him, this was one order he had to break. "They were forgotten long ago, only to be replaced by our call numbers…"

"So I see… You are SPARTAN-491?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you've been with 468 for a while?"

"468 is my team leader, so of course I have, sir. She's the one who's helped me through so much already, especially about this whole idea of war…"

"She sounds very wise."

"She is, sir. Chief Petty Officer Mendez taught her very well."

"Mendez… What a man he is… Is he well?"

"Last we saw him was on _Trinity's Limit_, and he was doing very well, sir."

"I see… Are you second-in-command to 468?"

"She considers me so, but I'm not too sure of myself, sir. You see, I have always questioned my abilities. I am always afraid that I will make the wrong decision, thus bringing a heavy consequence upon myself and the team…"

"Well, I can tell you this: Whatever choice you make, it'll benefit the team somehow. Even if the cost is great, it will benefit the team…"

"But, sir, what if lives are at stake? What then?"

"Trust me, son. You'll know what to do when the time comes. Just follow your instincts…"

SPARTAN-491 became silent for a brief moment.

"That's the exact some thing that she told me… To follow my instincts…"

"Then that is what you do when the time comes. Besides, I am sure she had faith in your abilities."

The young Spartan looked up and drew a smile across his visor with two fingers.

"Thank you, sir. It means a lot…"

"Are you going to see her?"

"Of course, sir. I am worried about her condition when SPARTAN-417 and SPARTAN-482 brought her in…"

"If she is a team leader, then I doubt she would let her team down, SPARTAN-491. She'll pull through."

SPARTAN-491 nodded, feeling a little calmer, sat down as they began to approach the city.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_ Because **Halo: Ghost of Onyx** was released not too long ago (Oct. 31), I might need to make some changes to the dates, because the final date in the book is way too close for the beginning of my story.. . I don't want to mess with the continuity, so thus, there will be several changes to the date, as well as other significant little factors. I want to keep this story within the Halo canon, so much time will be spent to keep with the continuity, as well as hopefully, keep with the story arc. Sorry to my readers that I've made you wait a long time for these chapters, only to be set back because the fourth book was released. There won't be too much editing, save for dates, names, and certain ideas. Hopefully, I can do this when I have time! Thanks for the encouragements and reviews, guys! It's really encouraging me a lot! )

Best wishes,

Lt. Jessie Jay Falcon


	24. Chapter 23

**_No R&R for a Spartan_**

**Time: **0735 hours

**Date: **June 1, 2583 (Military Calendar)

**Location:** Zerusesa City, Zerusesaro Mountain range, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

The sun was shining through the thin curtains hanging over a window of the tiny hospital I was based at. I felt really groggy and disoriented as the light blinded me temporarily through my unshielded eyes. I could see a shadow looming over me. It took a few minutes to let my sights adjust, but when they did, I saw Kitty's concerned face staring back at me.

"Neala?"

I blinked several times and looked around. I was out of my suit, and heavily bandaged. I lifted up a corner of my covers to check the wounds. A set of stitches marked where the sniper bullet had pierced my sides while stitches etched the surrounding area. It felt numb, but a few minutes later, I felt a slight sting after running a finger over the zip-like line.

"Hmm…?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore… That's all… It feels like I got hit by two Scorpion shells…"

A tray of food had been set on the table, waiting for me to consume it, but I wasn't in the mood to eat, not with my teammates still out there.

"Well, the doc told us that you should eat when you wake up," she reported as I adjusted the bed slightly to sit up without much force. "They fixed you up the best they could. You had a punctured lung and heavy internal bleeding."

"It couldn't have been any worse," I replied with a grin, poking at the hospital food.

"Don't go jinxing yourself!"

"I'm not… I'm just stating the obvious."

"Very funny, team leader…"

I took in as much as I could until I had no more appetite to swallow any more. Even the ration packages tasted better than this. I pushed the tray away and reached over for the repaired black bodysuit. I could tell that my young teammate had been keeping herself busy by carefully fixing the damages on both her and my suits. She had a knack for fixing the finer details, something I was greatly grateful for.

Kitty assisted me as these suits were damn near impossible to wear without another person to help. Sure it was possible when we were alone, but when you could have help, it was greatly appreciated. I adjusted the chin guard and allowed the hydrostatic gel to conform to my body before putting on the ceramic plating. I laid back down, feeling the suit stretch and tighten for optimal performance. It squeezed my ribs a little hard, causing me to gasp for air, but a few seconds later, it was back to normal.

"Time?" I asked, picking up my helmet to assess the damage.

A heavy dent could be seen on the top where one of the visors was while the polarized lens had been cracked down the side, compromising the performance, as well as internal viewing. The brass would definitely have me for this one, but I did what I could in terms of the mission. Tech team would have to deal with it since they were the ones repairing it, not me.

"0755 hours at the moment. Oh yeah, Charlie and the chief stopped by earlier while you were sleeping."

I almost dropped my helmet and sat up, only to be forced back down a bit due to the pain.

"Charlie? Ok, but the chief?! Why didn't you wake me up?!"

Kitty stepped back, waving her hands in front of her.

"He told me not to! He said you needed the rest!"

I let out a small disapproving snort.

"What did the chief want?"

"He just wanted to tell us that they're moving in everyone from the base to the city."

"What about the Elites and Grunts we captured?"

"They're going with them. Our units are watching them as they are escorted into the city."

"By Pelican?"

"Yes."

"Where are they camping?"

"In the industry district of the city. Large enough space to hold a base."

"Hmm…"

I tried to get up, but a searing pain shot through my chest. I cringed and collapsed into my pillow.

"Dammit all…" I muttered. "Where are the painkillers when you need them?"

"The doc said that you've already had too much. Any more and it would've been an overdose."

I huffed a little, the pain throbbing slightly.

"Well, I can't do anything if I stay here!"

Kitty smiled at me with her kitten-like grin.

"Well, you could get some rest…"

I looked at her with a slight glare.

"Ok, you're asking for it when I can get around again."

"Hey, I'm only being suggestive."

I sighed and stared at the ceiling. What happened back there…? One moment we were pulling off an undercover mission, and the next, I was being blown into the air, knocked unconscious for a few moments, only to wake up and find that the SPARTAN-IIIs were there and conflicting with our objectives.

Taking the next few minutes, I was standing slightly unsteadily and put on the pieces of armor bit by bit. Sure it added weight, but it felt good to be in it again. I sighed and sat back down, the bed creaking and straining under the weight of the suit. I was about to reach for a glass of water when someone knocked on the door.

"Everything all right, Neala?"

I turned my attention towards the door, Charlie smiling back at me.

"Charlie!" Kitty squealed, jumping on to him and purring. "Did you get some rest?"

"Yeah, and I also got that cut mended," he replied, pointing to a heavy set of stitches under his chin.

"That's good," I replied. "You ok?"

"Just a little shaken, but I'm fine."

"That's good to hear. Are the others ok?"

"Yeah, they'll be here in about an hour and a half to set up a base here in the city. Something about protecting a crystal."

"The dogs are after it, aren't they?"

"Well, not the ones we captured. The ones we got are those who are against the Covenant, not with them."

"Say what?" Tommy's voice yipped as he came in. "What do you mean they aren't with the Covenant!? They're Elites! Of course they're with them!"

"Not according to Chief Satoshi's interrogation report. He found that they are part of a resistance group."

"That's rather… new… But why?"

"Something about the Prophets lying."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Charlie!"

The oldest of us turned to see Brass huffing.

"Charlie, the Chief wants you at the new base to get things in order since Neala is to stay here."

"Oh, come now!" I rebelled. "I'm fine! See?"

I tried to sit up again, but as I did, I grit my teeth. The pain spread, but not as much. Still, it hurt like hell…

"Rest for leader while the others go out to play…" Tommy teased, grinning widely, heading out with his helmet.

"You get back here, petty officer!"

"Catch me if you can!"

That did it. I was out of bed and chasing my wolfen teammate out the door.

* * *

"Uh… Should we call the nurse?" Brass asked as the remaining three left the room, taking Neala's damaged helmet with them.

"Eh… Not like they could stop a tank, let alone two Spartans in full armor…" Charlie sighed.

"I guess there's no real R&R for a Spartan, is there?" Kitty teased, jumping on the oldest teammate for a piggyback ride.

"Nope…" Brass replied. "Maybe those minor downtimes, but I wouldn't officially call them R&R."

The three ran down the corridor after their teammates while another Spartan stood in the shadows, watching the youngsters go about with their antics.

"_So these are the SPARTAN-IVs that Halsey released not too long ago…_" the soldier thought quietly. "_They are so young and carefree, yet they also know of the battles to come. Engineered with the best technology ONI has to offer, but also stripping them of their innocence… An innocence that can never be found or retrieved again…_"

The Spartan left the hospital through another exit, only to meet with a partner in a waiting Warthog. The vehicle coughed to life as the ignition started.

"How are the kids?" the driver asked.

"It's like they don't seem to care about the dangers they will be put through…" Treasa sighed. "They seem so…"

"Ignorant?" Bearach finished as the jeep growled and plowed through the streets.

Treasa crossed her arms over her chest while letting out a deep breath of air. She brushed a strand of blue-tinted hair from her face and looked towards camp.

"More like unaware…"

"Naïve?"

"I don't know… I mean, are they taking this seriously?"

"Treasa, dear… You remember when we were young and back on Reach-II? You were always the one who made a group of guys chase after you for stealing their cookies."

"But how does that make it any different? We were only five or six back then. These are teens we are talking about. Teens who have just got out!"

"Let them take in the remaining innocence they have while they live, Treasa… We were created to kill, but also to be killed… Let them enjoy what they have now so that they will not regret it when their time comes…"

The petty officer looked at her husband and nodded silently.

"I only wish such lives did not have to be wasted…"

"They won't be… Under the command of SPARTAN-468, along with Satoshi, none of them will be wasted…"

"I only hope you are right, Bearach… I only hope you are right…"

* * *

**Time: **1420 hours

**Date: **June 1, 2583 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **S-III Base, Zerusesa City, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

We had approached the campgrounds where everyone was based. I looked around and saw that everyone was doing their job as needed, which was to assist the units who were already down here.

Chief Satoshi was talking with some of my men when he saw us getting out of the truck.

"Master Chief Satoshi, sir!" my team and I saluted.

"At ease, soldiers," he replied after saluting us. "You have done well in this operation, Petty Officer 468."

"I was only following orders as I was trained to do, sir!"

"I trust you are all rested?"

"Sir! Yes, sir!" we replied in unison.

"Team Leader 468, a word with you?" he asked.

I nodded and motioned to my team to disperse and help around.

"Team Leader 468, ma'am?" I heard Kitty chirp.

"Yes, petty officer?"

"Permission to command the ODST to bring in our captives?"

"Permission granted, and make sure that you can retrieve any other information if possible. We need as much info as we can get."

"Yes, ma'am!"

I watched as she bounded past the Marines swiftly and into a pack of black-armored soldiers. After a while, I felt the chief looking at me, so I followed him.

"You wanted to speak with me, sir?" I asked in a very humbled tone.

He stopped briefly before resuming his strides.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping out back there… I never did get to formally show my appreciation."

"You did what you did, sir. I am just grateful that you are still alive to command."

"Yes, it is good to be alive… Tell me, petty officer. With your skills, why have you not become a chief petty officer yet?"

"I have no need to climb up in ranks so quickly," I replied, strapping my BR55 over my shoulder and making sure my M6D was in its holster. "They are merely titles in which people are separated into superior and inferior groups. I do not see my men as any of these, but rather as equals… As brothers and sisters who have grown up and experienced the same thing together."

"You are indeed wise, as one of your teammates has pointed out," he commented, entering one of the buildings.

"Thank you, sir."

"You remind me of Senior Chief Petty Officer Mendez greatly…"

"Our 'father'…"

"I guess you can call him that…" the chief sighed. "But I can assure you that he is not your biological father, nor is Dr. Halsey your biological mother."

"Sir, we were told that our parents were killed and that we were sent to orphanages, only to be picked up but ONI to assist them in the SPARTAN-IV project… But something inside tells me it is wrong, for it did not seem that way to me…"

I heard the chief sigh as he pulled off his helmet with a hiss. I could see steam hovering slightly for a fraction of a second, only to dissipate into the air moments later.

"You are right in saying so," he replied. "But I will not go further with this conversation. Please, do have a seat as I do want to know what your team is capable of, as well as their skills."

I looked around and pulled up an ammunitions crate to rest on while he leaned against a crate of Anaconda SAM.

"You could take off your helmet, too. No need to hide from me here."

I acknowledge this and slowly removed my helm, slowly letting the cool air engulf my senses so that I wouldn't go into shock. I placed it next to me and looked up.

"That's quite a scar you have there, 468…" he commented, drawing a mock version on his own face on the same side. "Did that happen during the battle?"

"Yes, sir. One of your men fired on us when my team and I were inside. I was knocked unconscious for a brief moment, but came to quickly to continue the fight."

"Hmm… I'll be sure to warn them about watching for friendlies next time. Now, about your team?"

"Which one do you want to know about first, sir?"

"How about we start with the small one you were talking to before?"

"That is SPARTAN-417…" I began.

For the next three hours, I went into detail about each of my teammates, of course, leaving out the quirks as that would be something he would not understand fully, especially Tommy. Then again, who could understand him? The chief was deeply immersed in my description of each of my teammates. I could tell he was formulating positions for them if we had to come together and fight. Then again, I wish he would let me lead my own, as I did not know how he functioned with his, let alone what I saw during our fight the night before. They seemed disorganized, but I could not blame them, for we had turned off our flagging system to engage the enemy.

It was towards the late evening when the chief and I had emerged from his camp. He left to tend to his duties while I mine. I took in the scene, recording every possible movement I could catch when I noticed that several ODSTs had gathered under the shadow of a holding silo. I turned on my marker system and found that Kitty was there, but also someone named Günter, the sergeant of the ODSTs. I approached them quietly catching part of their conversation.

"…I had orders from Master Chief Satoshi and Petty Officer 468 to lead your men, sergeant!" she sternly replied. "I did not see you bring in the prisoners as quickly or as needed!"

"I was going to until you showed up! Taking over my job as though you were a god…"

"I was following orders, sergeant. You watch what you say…"

"417," I interrupted. "What is going on here?"

"Sergeant Günter of the ODSTs doesn't seem to agree that I was capable to leading his men to bring in the prisoners as directed…" she explained.

"You have no right!" I heard Günter shout.

"I have my orders, sergeant!" my teammate retaliated.

"You don't need to deal with people like him, Kitty…" I said over a private channel. "We'll leave him alone."

We turned to leave, but it seemed that someone had other plans…

"Oy, you!" Günter shouted. "Don't you go turning your back on me, bitch!"

Kitty stopped and turned around.

"Excuse me…?"

"You heard me! You Spartans are nothing but pawns for the UNSC, working as though you don't need to pull that hard while we ODSTs are working our asses off!"

"What did you just say…?!" I growled. "You dare to disrespect those of higher rank?"

"Higher rank my ass!"

Kitty turned to face me.

"Hostile located…" she muttered, clenching her fist. "Permission to neutralize?"

"Permission granted…"

I watched as Kitty stood in front of him, unarmed, save for her armor. The ODST laughed.

"You Spartans are nothing without your suits…"

"Oh, we'll just see about that, loser…" Kitty growled, taking off her helmet, her tiny tail dropping out like a thin crimson trickle. "You made a big mistake challenging me armorless…"

"Heh… And you were wrong in taking over the commands of my men!"

"For your information, I had direct orders from the Admiral to give assistance as needed!"

"Like I'll believe that! You're nothing but a sissy, little bitch!"

Pei and I escorted Kitty to a nearby tent and helped her out of the armor. To make her feel less vulnerable and to show our support, the two of us also decided to also get out of ours for a while. Sure we felt safe, but it also felt good to jump around without the bulky weight. We were all dressed in our black shorts and matching tank top. Günter was only in his black shorts, flexing his muscles to show off to the other ODSTs, especially the females. We could hear the female ODSTs squealing as he showed off his guns and the tattoos that were plastered across his bulging veins. The three of us, along with the rest of the Spartans and Marines were obviously disgusted.

* * *

**Time: **1759 hours

**Date: **June 1, 2583 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **S-III Base, Zerusesa City, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"So, the bitch is out of her armor and ready for a good banging…" the sergeant laughed as he jerked his thumb towards the unarmed females.

"Günter!" one of the Marines shouted. "You're making a mistake fighting against a Spartan… You know what they are capable of!"

"Yeah, when they have their armor… Besides, look how small she is!"

Kitty tapped her foot angrily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know, I may be small, but I do still make a powerful fighter!"

"We'll see about that, cunt! You're nothing without that armor!"

Kitty looked at Pei then at Neala.

"I'm going in…"

Pei and Neala stepped back a little, kneeling in front of the Marines, who were beginning to place bets on the two fighters. One of them was rejecting to the uneven odds.

"You know every well Günter won't last five minutes in the ring with her…"

"Yeah, but he does have the build advantage…" the other replied. "He's right in saying that she's pretty small for a Spartan."

"But small equals deadly. Have you seen the footage of these guys without their armor? They practically move like ninjas!"

"Only in the forest."

"I still say she's gonna whoop his ass…"

Neala and Pei chuckled as the two warmed up their muscles. Günter's build rippled under his skin, the tattoos stretched in every direction as he continued to flex, showing off. Kitty, on the other hand, was just easily stretching her muscles as she was trained to do. As the smallest Spartan, she did not have that much of a build, but looks were highly deceiving, especially in Kitty's case. Several of the Marines murmured as they saw her lithe form bend in a very fluid motion. They wolf-whistled as she did a few back flips, and stood in a defensive stance.

"Well, you bitch… Care to get this party started so I can have my way with you tonight…?" Günter growled with a maniacal laughter, hunching slightly to make himself look bigger.

"I will make you swallow those words whole, along with some more for disrespecting your superiors and your fellow fighters…"

"Well, I don't care what you freaks say! You're all the same as the Covenant. Nothing but a waste of lives and trillions of dollars on experiments where only a few will survive!"

"Let's settle this right now!"

"You're on!"

"Well, ladies first…"

Günter let out a roar and dashed for the Spartan, only to miss his target as the female fighter dodged the blow and countered with a swift back kick. He slid in the dirt, but heaved himself up, grinning.

"You're fast, but are you strong?!" he shouted.

Kitty stood her ground as he grabbed the Spartan by the shoulder, gripping tightly as he forced her back a good fifty meters. The girl braced herself, grinning as she grabbed his wrists and twisted about, using the momentum to throw him back. Again, he fell hard and slid, his back scraped raw by the rough surface. Kitty was still standing, grinning as she winked at the Spartans rooting for her.

"Let's go, 417!" Charlie shouted.

"Yeah! Show that ODST who's the boss!" Tommy howled.

The others, riled up with this battle, began to whoop while the ODSTs did the same with their own leader.

"C'mon, Günter! Don't let her bitch-slap you all over the place! Take her down!"

"Yeah! She's a weakling!"

"Take down that twerp!"

Kitty only laughed as the ODST leader ran at her again, but this time, his hands grabbed her in the wrong place. Violated and letting her anger take over, she swung around with her left leg and gave a good swift kick at the groin. The marines all winced and looked away, hissing as a few of the female marines grimaced as Günter groaned, falling to his knees as he clutched his crotch. With a quick, yet heavy, blow like that, for sure something had been broken, not just the ego.

"That's gonna leave a mark in the morning…" one of the senior officers laughed. "And to think he's the strongest the ODSTs have to offer?"

Kitty refused to fight someone who was already on their knees out of respect, even if the person she was fighting was an enemy. She was taught not to beat up someone who was already beaten for it was demoralizing by their standards. One of the ODSTs, Günter's personal right-hand man, found a fallen pipe and picked it up.

"Günter, catch!" he shouted, tossing the rod.

The ODST leader, still being hindered by the pain, grabbed the pole out of the air and swung it, a loud snap echoing as Kitty was sent flying into the crowd. The Marines tried to catch the flying Spartan, but despite her smallness, she was still very heavy and almost crushed two of the privates.

"417!!!" the whole SPARTAN-IV squad shouted, running over to their fallen comrade.

Tommy stood up and growled.

"You dirty bastard of a cheater…"

"Oy, it's not like the Covenant are gonna fight fair, you know…" Günter hissed. "Besides, she went after my jewels! Only fair that I beat her up with a weapon myself…"

"But you are not a Covenant, nor are you a Spartan, but we are on the same team…"

"Blah-blah-blah…" he mocked, yawning. "Look, kiddies, you fight, you get hurt… That's why you don't play with fire…"

"B-but… I'm the one who is fire…"

They all turned to see Kitty, wounded, but still eager to finish the fight.

"You are the one who should learn not to judge by outward appearances… After all, look at your staff…"

Everyone gasped as Günter stared from the base to the tip, only to drop it. The pole, once straight, had a sharp bend and the tip was smashed into nothing. He growled as the girl stood up, a black and green stripe appearing on the back of her arms.

"So, you're not giving up, eh?" he chuckled, picking up the rod again. "Looks like I'll just have to kill you!!!"

"417!!!"

The commander charged at full speed, the pole ready to pierce.

"I will not give up…" she huffed in a growling voice. "I will not let down my team… I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!!!"

Forcing everyone away, she dashed straight for Günter, catching the pole at her side with her right arm and clamping it down. She braced herself deep into the ground and grunted loudly as she used the momentum and heaved the soldier into the air. Everyone gasped as this tiny girl of a Spartan was able to lift a man taller and stronger than her above head. As soon as the pole was straight up, she slammed it into the ground, jarring loose his grip. Down he slid, only to have his face come in contact with a foot, sending him into an aerial flip and on to his back. Kitty collapsed on to one knee after coming out of the back flip, panting as she had not fought this fiercely before, not even with Neala or the others. She stood up and walked over, placing a foot on his chest.

"You've lost, Günter… And I've won…"

She got off and began to walk away. The SPARTAN-IIIs, although older and much more experienced, were amazed at the agility that this one had exhibited, but not only was she fast, she was also able to use the force one exerted against them.

"Target neutralized…" she grinned in a painful manner, but everyone was glad that she was still alive.

She was about to meet up with her teammates when they heard one of the Marines shout.

"WATCH OUT!!!"

Kitty turned, only to see a pole flying at her while Günter laughed loudly.

"We're not through yet!"

Without warning, two fully-armed Spartans jumped out of the crowd, one of them catching Kitty while the other stood in the way of the pole. A hollow clang followed as it fell on to the ground, half the bar crushed like a withered twig. Günter fell backwards in dismay.

"What…?! What is this?! What are you freaks doing interfering?!"

Using his armored body to protect her, Tommy was crouching over Kitty while Charlie stood in front of the two, a heavy dent on his left breastplate.

"That is enough…" the Spartan warned. "You've lost a match in a fair fight, even though you had aid from your teammates… If you do not stop, I will see to it that you are dealt with promptly…"

"With you and what army?!" he shouted.

"With us…" Tommy snarled as the injured Spartan was quickly ushered away by Neala and Pei. "And the rest of the SPARTAN-IVs… You mess with one of us, you mess with the whole family…"

Günter laughed uproariously.

"You freaks actually have a family…? You hear that guys?! They actually have a family!"

Only half of the ODSTs laughed while the others began to back away. Some of them even began to run for their tents.

"Sir, I think it's best if we left it the way it is…!" one of them advised.

"Come now, lieutenant," he growled. "It's not like they'll hurt us…"

"I don't know… They look pretty pissed to me…"

"Pissed, but can't do anything…"

"And there, you are wrong…" Charlie growled. "I am Petty Officer Second-Class SPARTAN-491, second-in-command to Petty Officer First-Class SPARTAN-468, and because SPARTAN-468 is not present, I assume the role as next in line for her platoon! Now, you dare to defy us further with your jabbering and petty cries?"

"Why don't you go whine and bitch about it to the admirals? I'm sure they'd love to hear your story…"

"That won't be necessary, Sergeant Günter…" a low disappointed voice sighed from behind.

The Marines quickly dispersed and stood up to salute as Admiral Sheppard and Admiral Whitten approached the scene. The Spartans stood at attention immediately as Charlie announced the arrival.

"ADMIRALS ON DECK!"

The armed soldiers all snapped a salute at once, as did the now-fearful ODSTs.

"At ease, troops!" Sheppard shouted, his dark orbs piercing the eyes of every man in the vicinity. "Now, Spartan… What happened here?"

Charlie took off his helmet out of respect and saluted again before starting.

"Sir, it started out as a sparring match between SPARTAN-417 and Günter until one of the ODSTs decided to 'help' by giving Günter a weapon when our own was unarmed."

"Hell no! That's-"

"Silence, Günter…" Whitten warned. "You are already in hot water for attacking a Spartan, let alone, a _female_ Spartan…"

"But, sir! She-"

Sheppard scowled at the ODST and nodded towards Charlie. Günter quickly silenced himself and backed off slightly.

"Continue, son…" the SPARTAN-IV admiral beckoned.

"Sir, our teammate had won the fight despite the disadvantage, and called it off as she was wounded already. Günter did not heed this and threw the weapon he had at her."

"Was she unarmed still?"

"She was fighting outside her armor, as we had agreed, sir…"

Disgusted, the elderly admiral growled lowly as he clenched his fist.

"I have heard enough…"

The ODSTs gasped as Sheppard approached Günter.

"You are hereby placed on secured probation," he announced. "You are not to wield any weapon unless ordered to do so, and you are stripped of your title as sergeant, _private_…"

The ODST felt weak under the pressure.

"B-but, sirs!"

"No buts…" Sheppard growled. The whole of the ODSTs now shuddered in fear, as did the Marines and a few Spartans from both divisions. "Not only did you not follow orders of a higher officer, you attacked a Spartan when you know very well that you are not allowed to! And on top of that, you attack a _female_ Spartan outside her armor!!! What kind of man are you?! Have you no face?!"

Günter cowered and fell to his knees while the SPARTAN-IV's admiral looked around. The ODSTs quickly gathered around who was once their sergeant and whisked him into a nearby tent. The Marines quickly scattered while the Spartans remained where they were, waiting for the admirals' orders.

"Where is the one who was fighting?" he asked, his rage slowly ebbing away.

"She is with 468 and 443 in one of the senior officers' tents," Tommy replied, also taking off his helmet out of respect.

"Very well… I am proud that you did not fall to Günter's level," Whitten commended. "I do not doubt that you would have been able to beat him down quickly, but the use of non-violence amongst ranks is a rare sight to see, especially between a Spartan and an ODST…"

"Sir, we did not want to harm him as he was an ally, even if he did call the challenge," Charlie replied. "Sir, we need all the men we can muster against the Covenant, even if they are roguish at times… And wounded soldiers only lead to cannon fodder…"

"What about 417?"

"She will heal quickly," Tommy assured. "She's always been the fastest out of all of us."

Whitten chuckled and nodded.

"Then I will see you later in the day, Sheppard?"

"Of course, Whitten. We still have much to talk about!"

The two admirals laughed warmly, only for Whitten to depart with his Spartans to their side of camp. Sheppard looked at Charlie.

"Care to escort me to where your leader and your fighter are resting?"

"Sir! Yes, sir!" he replied, saluting with Tommy. "This way, sir!"

He looked at the others, who were still standing.

"I want you to head to our side of the base and get some rest. Switch off guard duty for the prisoners every two hours until daybreak. You know the rules of having a POW on premises, so I expect them to be followed through."

"Sir! Yes, sir!" they shouted, scattering as soon as they had received their commands.

Charlie nodded in Tommy's direction, and the two escorted the admiral to the more quiet part of the encampment, only to see Kitty on her knees, violently vomiting blood. Neala came running back with a handful of towels while Pei had gone off to bring in a Warthog.

"417!" the two boys shouted, running over. "What happened?!"

"Heavy internal bleeding…" Neala reported. "That last blow was heavier than what we had expected. Scans indicate that she now has a collapsed and a punctured lung…"

Charlie gently heaved up the tiny figure and climbed into the Warthog Pei had managed to pull in.

"Admiral, sir!" Pei shouted, saluting at the wheel. "I did not see you, sir!"

"It's fine, 443! Just take 417 to the hospital, now!"

"Roger that, sir!"

The Warthog's engines revved loudly and disappeared around the corner, leaving Tommy and Neala with Admiral Sheppard.

* * *

I turned away, thinking I had failed my duties. I looked at my hands, her blood staining against my pale skin. Tommy walked over, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"You did what you could, leader…" he whispered in my ear, holding me close. "All you can do is hope for the best…"

"But is my best enough for her…? If she dies, it's my responsibility! I can't lose her! She's my younger sister! I must protect her!"

"468…" Sheppard calmly approached. "Do you believe in your teammates…?"

I looked up at the admiral, saluting with my bloody hands just briefly.

"I trust them deeply as my family, sir…" I replied, trying to hold my tears back. "I would trust them with my life if I had to…"

"Then why give up now? Is it because that you feel that you have failed that you did fail?"

This struck me hard, but he was right. If I did trust them to the point that I would not worry if I placed my life in their hands, why did I not trust them now…?

"If you believe in your teammates, then they will pull out for you, team leader… Do well to keep that in mind in the war to come…"

"Yes, sir…" I weakly replied, leaning on to Tommy for support. "Thank you, sir…"

"482?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Make sure that 468 gets some rest… It is bad that she has been overwhelmed like this easily, but I do not blame her, as this is your first time on the field, no?"

"Yes, sir… It is our first time on the war field…"

I felt my eyelids grow heavy and was starting to lose my strength due to lack of real rest, for even my time in the hospital was a short one, and I still had not fully recovered.

"Then I suggest you take it slow and easy. 468 might have rushed a bit, but she will catch on soon. Just make sure that she rests. I will check with you in eight hours."

"Yes, sir…"

Tommy carefully picked me up and headed into an empty tent. He placed me on the cot and tucked me in, running his gloved hand over my head.

"Don't worry, Neala…" he whispered. "Charlie and I will take care of things while you and Kitty rest up. No need to worry, ok?"

"But… I…"

"Even leaders need their rest. Besides, you still have your wounds to worry about. Can't play if that comes open again, right?"

I drew a smile across his face with a finger. Despite his feral appearance, he was certainly very human.

"Thanks, Tommy…"

He dimmed down the kerosene lamp and left my bunk, leaving me to fall into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Time: **1820 hours

**Date: **June 1, 2583 (Military Calendar)

**Location: **500 m from S-III Base, Zerusesa City, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"I feel bad for them…"

"It's part of the learning process though."

"But they just got out, and look at what Günter already did to one of them!"

"But Günter paid the price for it already…"

"You're really calm about this, aren't you, Andes?"

"Randall, listen… The admiral will be there until the SPARTAN-IV units are good to move on their own."

Andes and Randall were sitting on two boulders on a high point overlooking the camp. They were there to keep an eye on things, but they were rather curious as to what had happened to the SPARTAN-IV units after the ordeal with Günter. They had just watched SPARTAN-482 step out of the tent, heading towards the makeshift barracks where the others were stationed. Andes chewed on a bit of jerky from his pack to keep his stomach from growling, as he had not eaten since sundown the day before.

"But if the ODSTs continue, especially Günter, they're in some deep trouble…"

"Don't worry about it…"

"But what I'm really worried about is the tiny girl… I mean, she was throwing up blood, yet we couldn't help her!"

"Randall, this is how a team is built. We won't help them because it'll only make them rely on us. This will teach them to rely on each other more than they did on Reach-II or wherever they trained. You break them down, only for them to build themselves up. That's how we were made, remember?"

"Still… A little girl… Makes me wonder how my daughter is doing back on Ladue."

Andes choked on the bit of meat.

"Daughter?" he exclaimed. "You never told me you had a daughter… And when were you gonna tell me this?! What's her name?"

"Never because you said you would tease me if I did have a girl!" the gunnery sergeant retaliated. "Anyway, we were going to call her Katherine, but that was too long and she got stuck with Kat. However, we saw that the name Kat sounded too old for her, like an adult cat, so we called her Kitty."

"Heh… Kitty, huh? So what? Satoshi had a girl, too!"

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to worry about her since she's… You know…"

"I know… The Chief has been having really bad nights due to the fact that his daughter is no longer of this world, yet he keeps saying that he sees her, not as a dead child but as a living fighter somewhere in this universe…"

"I think he just wants her back so badly, that he's starting to hallucinate…"

"But I think he may be on to something."

"Why's that?"

"Earlier in the day, while I was trying to access the names of the SPARTAN-IVs, both Geit and Geit-II have pointed out that their names, not their records, have been sealed by a level ten security firewall."

"Well, that's rather odd… Who has access to them?"

"Only ONI…"

"That certainly is odd… They didn't do it with us…"

"Yet they did it with them… Fishy, huh?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to dive into it too much… Don't want to get into trouble, you know?"

"And you two are already in trouble…" another voice called out from below. "Why aren't you two at your command posts?"

"Chief Satoshi!" Randall squeaked, sliding off the boulder with Andes following close behind. "Uh… How long have you been here?"

"At least fifteen minutes… Now, you mind telling me what you two are doing?"

"Just looking at the SPARTAN-IV units," Andes assured. "Nothing more."

"Did you find more information on them?"

"No, but 468, that one female Spartan who saved you, was certainly having a hard time when her friend was throwing up blood."

"What?"

"You didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Günter challenged the tiniest of the SPARTAN-IVs to a battle, but he actually lost, not to mention lost a few other things…"

"So that explains the absence of the ODSTs at the moment… Trying to calm their leader, huh?"

"_Former_ leader… He got stripped of his rank."

"Ouch… and the girl?"

"Hospital… 468 was just taken into a tent by one of her teammates. He really seemed interested in her though."

"Randall…"

"What? Just giving my report…"

"468… There is something about her… I must know who she is…"

"Chief, it's been a long day. Call it a night, will you?"

"I don't know… Even if I called it a night, still can't get any rest… Always lying awake…"

"There are always tranqs to use…"

"No, I'll be fine, Andes… I'll bunk down. Switch off with Tanoak and William in three hours."

"Will do, sir!"

The chief left their presence and proceeded to his waiting 'Hog. The two blink oddly as the Warthog disappeared around the corner.

"You know, I'm starting to think Satoshi is seeing 468 as his daughter…" Randall pointed out as he picked up his sniper rifle.

"Why say that?"

"He doesn't seem to stop thinking about her…"

"Well, she did save him…"

"But that's not the point… Just the way he's been acting around her, and only a day or two into meeting her… It's like he's accepted her as an adopted daughter."

"I don't know… Maybe we're just thinking about this too hard, Randall… After all, if your little Kitty was dead, and she was your only child, wouldn't you be distressed also?"

"I know I would be distressed if my youngest daughter died, but it is plausible though, right?"

"Perhaps, but for now, we better head back to our post before the admiral decides to get in our faces."

"Good idea… Don't want to end up in Günter's situation, minus the possible castration…"

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_ The dates for the chapters following this one have all been changed, and the changes to the previous chapters will occur once I get my documents proofread again. This is because of the massive amounts of extra information I have added, as well as the changes that help with the continuity. Other than that, please enjoy this and the next chapter of this very lengthy fanfic.

Sorry if this story is getting too long, but I can't seem to find a way to shorten it any more without losing precision! O 

Best wishes,

Lt. Jessie Jay Falcon


	25. Chapter 24

_**A Father's Plight**_

**Time: **0735 hours

**Date: **June 1, 2583 (Military Calendar)

**Location** Base Camp, Zerusesaro Mountain range, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"Nea-Nea!"

"Mmm…"

"Wake up, Neala!"

"A few more minutes…"

"NEA!!!"

"Zzz…"

"The Admiral is here!!!"

"WHAT?!"

I jumped out of bed and quickly pulled on my jacket, snapping a salute as soon as I got it to stay.

"Admiral Sheppard, sir!"

However, there was only silence, followed by a furious fit of giggles. I looked around, only to see Kitty rolling on the ground.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" she squealed, pointing at me. "It was priceless!!!"

"Oh, I'll get you for this, petty officer!"

"MEEP!!!"

I chased Kitty out of my tent while getting dressed into my fatigues. Tommy, Charlie, and Brass were already up, their breakfast untouched and watching in amusement as I ushered Kitty into the women's washroom to refresh ourselves. Settling down with our teammates after getting wet countless times, we had a quiet talk about the events that happened the day before.

"You all right, Kitty?" I asked, my mind unsettled by the look of her arms, which were now wrapped in bandages.

"I'm fine!" she chirped, munching on a piece of toast. "The doc said that there were no broken bones, but he wanted me to take it easy since they had to replace my right lung…"

"How bad was it?" Tommy inquired, finishing his juice.

"Doc said that the rib sent a pretty powerful jolt into the lung and punctured it. From there, you know where the blood is coming from…" Charlie explained. "She won't be able to go running with us in the morning for a week, but she'll still manage the daily toning routines."

"That's good," I replied. "Don't want you going rusty…"

"But I want to run with you guys!" she whimpered.

"Yeah, only because she always beats us back to base…" Tommy muttered from behind his empty cup.

"What's this…?" Charlie laughed. "Still bitter about losing to Kitty?"

"I did not lose! It was a tie!"

"In your dreams…" Kitty laughed.

"It was!"

"Settle down, you guys…" I chuckled. "We'll skip our routine for today and make sure that everything is set. I have a feeling that we might be expecting some guests really soon…"

"Oh?" Brass asked. "You mean the Covenant?"

I nodded.

"We better be prepared for anything, so watch out, especially with the ODSTs… Charlie, can you be Kitty's escort until she is able to move freely without being hurt?"

"Sure thing!"

"But Neala! I'm a big girl!"

"Maybe to her, but you're still small to me…" Charlie grinned, patting her gently on the head with his large hand.

"Not funny!" she squealed, batting and nipping at his hand like a cat. "I may be small, but I do still pack a wallop!!!"

"And I don't doubt that, but Neala's right since the ODSTs will do anything to get back at us after that ordeal…" Tommy replied. "Better to be safe than sorry, remember?"

"Yeah, you're right, but when can I get back into my suit?"

"Not for another three days," I replied, knowing that I also had three days before I could return to my working condition. "But once I get my armor on, you can also put yours on."

"YAY!"

I stood up and looked at my other teammates, who had just come back from their daily run and were now in their suits. I smiled at them as they acknowledged my presence with a nod or a short salute. We were quite casual when we were together. However, once the admiral showed up, there was no time for lenience or mistakes. I watched as both Admiral Whitten and Admiral Sheppard stepped into our camp, along with Master Chief Satoshi and two others.

"ADMIRALS ON DECK!" I shouted, snapping a salute while the others also followed suit.

"At ease, Petty Officer…" Admiral Whitten greeted. "We came to see if 417 is doing well."

"I'm right here, sir!" she announced from behind Charlie, raising a quick salute. "And I am doing well, sir!"

Admiral Sheppard stepped over and, despite his massive hands, gently lifted one of Kitty's limbs to get a better look. He had to have been satisfied as that look in his dark eyes seemed to have lightened up a bit.

"Get plenty of rest, soldier," he commanded very lightly. "Now for the rest of you. We're moving out to the other side of the city to set up another base. The SPARTAN-III units, led by Admiral Whitten and Master Chief Satoshi, will be staying here while we'll be setting up base on the other side. Our objective is to secure this city as much as possible and to prevent the Covenant from moving in. Four teams will be going in to hunt for the crystal the Heretics are talking about. As soon as we find it, we're taking off and taking it back to ONI on Itego VIII in the Pegasi System. Chief Satoshi will be coming with us to help set up the place, as well as give you further commands."

I nodded as I looked at the chief. He did not have his helmet on, which was a little odd. Then again, I thought it was out of respect for the senior officers.

"Admiral Whitten has also agreed to let us use his Pelicans and Warthogs to transport our equipment, so pack up and move out. Petty Officer 468, you will ride ahead with Chief Satoshi and I, along with a Pelican loaded with Marines to secure the site. I suggest that you just wear the armor the Marines have, as you are not well enough to have your suit on yet."

"Yes, sir, I understand."

I turned to my teammates.

"You heard the admiral! 475 and 482, grab the weapons cache we brought in and load up the birds. 443 and 444, make sure that everyone is accounted for and that the Marines also have their equipment. 491, you're in charge while I secure the LZ with the admiral and the chief."

"Roger that, 468!" he replied soundly.

I smiled a bit, knowing that he was starting to feel confident. I had not seen this part of him surface until now. I wished it had come sooner, but I was glad that he was now finding himself. Perhaps now, he could be the leader that he wanted to be, not just some tactician sitting behind the lines…

After several Marines had helped me put on a set of their armor, which was really light compared to the armor being housed inside the crate near the Gauss cannon, I climbed into the turret, placing my feet into the footholds and swinging my weight a bit to get a feel for the weapon. The chief looked up at me.

"So, liking the Gauss?"

"I'm fine with it, sir," I replied, looking at the controls. "I heard these are highly accurate compared to the rocket- or chain gun-mounted 'Hogs, but I do prefer my sniper rifle when possible."

"True as that may be, but these guns are just as accurate as any sniper rifle. Sure they are a little loud, but they do get the job done, especially when drilling through the Grunts."

"Sir, if I may ask?"

"Feel free to speak casually…"

"Uh… Thank you, sir… Uh… Sir, I was wondering… When you were training, did you lose some of your 'family' also?"

I saw that I had stuck a hard nerve and tried to take back what I said, but he held up his hand.

"It is all right, 468…, he murmured, his eyes glazed as he seemed to think back on the days when his career had just begun. "Yes, I had lost some of my family, but I also lose more as this war continues… Elsewhere, there are also Spartans like us, those of the SPARTAN-IIs and other SPARTAN-III units, scattered throughout the galaxies, trying to protect what is left of humanity… Every year, one is killed… Every half a year, one is MIA… Ever month, one is too wounded to continue fighting… Every week, one is in recovery… Every day, one is wounded… Every hour, one is fighting… Every minute, one is awake… Every second… one is alive… There are things like these that set the world into balance, but for every balance, there is a counterbalance, sometimes too great of one, and that is when one must do what is needed to regain that balance… I am sure Mendez has taught you that?"

I thought about this for a moment.

"Yes, he did," I replied. "It was when he came into class one day, barging in and mock attacking us with paintballs that his men were shooting. That was when he told us about the balance after a few of us managed to break through his ranks and actually tackled him."

"And thus restoring the balance, no?"

"Yes, we did, sir."

"Alas, it is not just the Spartans whom I have lost who are like family to me…"

"How so, if I may ask, sir?"

"This war was the cause of my daughter's death and my wife's pain… It is because of this war I have no daughter and a wife who is on the edge of despair…"

"I am sorry to hear of your daughter's death…" I consoled while getting off the turret with ease. "But as Chief Mendez has told me once, as long as we keep them in our memories, they aren't dead."

"Yes, I know that, but somehow, I feel that she is not dead…"

"But, sir, how can that be? A person is considered dead if they cannot be physically with us. All we can carry are the memories we have made with them, which keeps them alive to others."

"468, it is something very hard to explain… It's just a feeling I have that even though I saw her buried, it's like that she's still alive…"

"Chief, forgive me for saying this, but I think your grievances are getting to you…"

"Perhaps so, but I just can't shake off that feeling… Especially when I look at you, 468…"

I was taken aback and edged away a little.

"Sir, what do you mean…?"

"There is something about you that reminds me of my child… When she was still alive…"

"Sir, I am sorry to say this, but I am not your daughter…"

"I know… But perhaps when this war is over, I would like to have you as a goddaughter… At least, to quell my spirit until my time is over."

"Sir, we are all a family here, despite our ages. As a senior officer, we will regard you as master chief, but if you prefer that I regard you as a father when not on-duty, then I shall do so."

"I don't want to force you to do it, 468."

I smiled a little.

"You are not forcing me, sir… Just that I wish to regard someone as a father as Chief Mendez, who all of us in SPARTAN-IV have regarded as our father, is not here…"

"What of Admiral Josiah Sheppard?"

"The admiral is considered our commander, sir. That is all how we regard him as. He does take care of us, as well as show his concern for our safety, but we just cannot relate to him as easily to someone we have grown up with all our lives, or with someone who has gone through the same process."

"I cannot disagree with you there."

"Chief!" We turned, only to see the admiral also in Marine armor, sitting shotgun of the Warthog I was just in. "Let's move out! 491, we will see you in an hour!"

"Sir! Yes, sir!" I heard Charlie shout as I mounted the turret and the chief jumped into the driver's seat. "All right, men! Let's pack it up!"

I nodded as we pulled ahead, followed by a caravan of three fully loaded Warthogs and one filled Pelicans. I swung the turret around to look at those behind me, only to swivel back to facing forward and aiming at places that could be potential sniping points.

This reminded me greatly when were against the Badger Brigade in Delouse Canyon, where the brigade were hiding deep in the crevices of the canyon walls, shooting us with their training sniper shots. During the first few hours, we had been pelted and were actually hit. Eventually, we learned to watch for the very thin trails that followed each round, but we also trained ourselves to listen for the gunshot.

Once we knew where they were hiding, we pretended to not know, only to make very subtle motions to my teammates about the location of where the sniper was hiding. From there, we sent our so-called assassins, Tommy and Kitty, to jump and disarm them. It was a quick job, for by the time we had reached the other end of the gulch to plant the anti-tank bomb, no one else was shooting and I got several acknowledging signals from the crevices. I smiled inside as the party trudged forward, pressing on towards our goal. However, I still had Chief Satoshi's words lingering in my mind. I did not understand what he meant about adopting me as his daughter when this war ended, if it ever did, but it did not seem so bad to be living with a someone whom I could fully relate to.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_ I am sorry for not putt up the latest chapters, but I've been really busy with college and stuff... This chapter seems to rushed in my opinion, but hopefully, it'll help a little bit with the development of the relationship between Neala and Satoshi...

Might post another some time tonight.

Best wishes,

Lt. Jessie Jay Falcon


	26. Chapter 25

_**Base Camp**_

**Time:**1435 hours

**Date:**June 1, 2583 (Military Calendar)

**Location:** Zerusesa City, Zerusesaro Mountain range, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

It was towards the afternoon when we finally arrived in our district of the city. It was almost exactly how the SPARTAN-III base was like, except we were living near a waterfall, something that would give Kitty a big grin and Tommy a disgruntled pinch.

Chief Satoshi had hopped out of the Warthog while I stepped out lightly and helped the admiral out. Even though I knew he didn't need to, it was out of respect as we were taught that to be humble to our superiors was important to becoming a powerful soldier and leader. The Marines began to unload the caravan as I began to scout out the place with a few of the other soldiers. As soon as it was clear, the soldiers began to roll out the tents and other camping equipment as those in the Pelican went off to secure the grounds with electrical fences and radars.

It was a clear area despite the industrial atmosphere it was housed in. Tall empty holding silos became lookout points where we set up several of the portable turrets while rows of the canvas tents were pulled up to house men and equipment. Barbed wire unrolled, creating an artificial brush of metallic thorns to pierce and cut whatever dared to test their deadliness. Trenches were also dug both in front and behind these wire fence, both filled with long, sharp fragments of steel, their points aiming at the sulfur-filled sky.

I watched as the people busied themselves, setting up our stationary turrets and ballistics. If anything, we had learned from the past fights that the Covenant were highly versed in the art of aerial fights and had our Anaconda surface-to-air missiles with us. Thanks to Pei's keenness, she had managed to create a highly efficient tracking system, and after several tests, they were more than perfect in gunning down these mechanical vultures.

As soon as everything was unloaded, the Warthogs left with Chief Satoshi, only to return hours later with the rest of my men and supplies. Kitty was the first to jump out as Charlie and Tommy pulled out the crates with the heavier weapons, along with Kitty's armor. My young teammate scampered about helping with the smaller objects such as the tents while I made sure that our captives were quarantined. I still had questions of my own while a Marine held all the information from Chief Satoshi's interrogation. I ran this information through as my squads checked what the Marines had set up and reinforced them.

By the time everything was done, the others had all settled down in the camps doing their own business while Pei, Harper, Charlie, and I were outside our armor and sitting in the large pavilion in our dress uniforms, speaking with the admiral over a small meal cooked up by our galley crew.

"We will need to split up the teams and search for this crystal," our commander began. "The sooner we find this hunk of rock, the faster we can destroy this artifact."

"However, if we do have this rock, does it have the same properties as the one Dr. Halsey found on Reach?" Harper inquired as I mixed the mashed potatoes with the gravy. It wasn't very appealing, but any food was better than nothing right now.

"That is what we don't know," Temujin's voice replied. "For all we know, the crystal could blow us up, and maybe take the opposite gender with it…"

Pei and I glared at the hologram as it hovered behind the admiral, only to disappear with a slight hand gesture.

"The programmers are still working with Temujin, so please bear with him for now…"

The two of us nodded in unison until I heard a clatter. I turned to see one of the galley crewmembers cleaning up the mess. I got out of my seat and helped the young cook with the mess and saw him off. When I came back, I noticed that the admiral was staring at me.

"I am sorry about the disruption, sir…" I apologized.

"It is quite all right…"

I was surprised at his reply, only to nod subtly and motioned for him to continue.

"468, I want you to make sure that all your Spartans have their rest. I'll put the Marines out on night duty tonight, for I fear that this mission will be too dangerous to send them with you. We will begin to evacuate what is left of the city populace tomorrow. An issue was sent out for a planetary evacuation, so most of the people have already been herded away. Hopefully, the Covenant does not decide to drop in early, or else we would have civilian hazards on our heads."

"We understand that, sir," Charlie replied. "It would be best if you let us handle the crystal hunting part of the assignment. As for the Marines, I'm sure we could-"

"No," I interrupted. "The admiral has already told us that we need to rest. The local authorities will aide our men in getting the people out. Until then, 443 and 444, head out to camp and make sure the Spartans know that everyone is required to have some down time in the next two days, at least eight hours of it. We will continue with our routine training that was done on Reach-II to keep in shape, as well as making sure everyone is hot and secure for the upcoming mission."

"Sir! Yes, sir!" the two responded.

"Very well," the admiral grunted in a satisfying manner. "Just make sure that you all have your R&R, especially you, 468."

I looked up.

"Yes, sir, I will see to it that my teammates and I have their rest as well as cleaning up."

The four of us adjourned and headed towards our rows of tents, where my brothers and sisters were fussing about, and playing games of oddball under the odd-man-out rules. Kitty streaked past us, her tiny hands clutching a Marine brain bucket painted to look like a skull. Tommy howled as he leapt over while several others ran around us to catch the tiny Spartan. I watched as Kitty halted for a brief second, only to disappear in a blink of an eye. Before I knew it, there was a loud crash as piles of bodies rammed into another. I cringed and hid a snicker as they shouted. The dust cleared, and there was our smallest fighter, perched on top of the hill.

"King of the hill!" Kitty laughed, her grin reaching from ear to ear as I approached them, the 'skull' spinning on her finger. "Neala! What did the admiral want?"

I motioned for her to get off, which she did in a very fashionable manner. She sprang off the group, only to land in Charlie's waiting arms. She giggled as everyone else got up and dusted themselves. I could hear someone groan, only to see that it was our dog of the pack, Tommy. Pei turned away to laugh as Harper and Brass helped him up.

"Tommy?" I asked. "You ok there?"

"Nothing some rest can't heal!" he barked, shaking off the dirt like the dog he was.

"Well, you aren't going to the barracks until you get a bath…" Kitty giggled. "And it just so happens that our camp is near a waterfall!"

I saw Tommy's face scrunch up so tightly; it looked as though he had sucked on a whole lemon.

"No way, man!" he refused, shaking his head side to side violently. "I ain't gonna take a bath!"

"Tommy, you know hygiene is important…" Pei sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, you know better than to go to sleep dirty…"

"But what about those days when we couldn't take a bath?"

"Those were days when we were not near a water source, but since we now are, it is best if we take full advantage of it."

I heard him whimper a little as Kitty slid out of Charlie's arms and landed softly on the ground with the oddball. With it, she whacked her teammate over the head and sprinted towards the waterfall. I followed them for a good distance until I heard a loud splash, followed by fits of coughing and laughter. By the time I had reached my destination, Tommy was sopping wet and shaking his whole body like the dog he was.

"Hee-hee…" I heard Kitty chirp. "Doggy got his bath, team leader!"

I joined in on the laughter as the other female Spartans joined us with bundles of towels and a clean change of clothes. Throwing bars of soap, we managed to get Tommy out of view and proceeded to the river for our bath.

The water was cool and calming to our bodies after the heavy events, especially for Kitty and I. Pei swam over to look over my back and poked a few spots, causing me to cringe slightly.

"Seems like you pulled a few muscles there," she diagnosed. "Hurt yourself moving things?"

"Probably…" I replied, after rinsing the bubbles from my face. "You know how it is about us and pain. I didn't realize it until you pointed it out."

"I know, but you are one of the team leaders, and we do need you to keep us together. After all, Chief Mendez did promote you to Petty Officer First Class for a reason."

I sighed and relaxed a little.

"I know, but after what happened in the last two days or so? I let an ODST go against one of us, and we had some Marine casualties… I'm not even sure if I am worthy of such a title…"

"Title or not, you are still family, and regardless of rank, you are still our friend."

I smiled as she worked out the soreness from my back while Kitty played in a tiny whirlpool caused by the currents being caught in a tiny lagoon. Isis was the first to get out followed by Pei. I decided to stay under the falls for a bit to dwell on what Chief Satoshi had said before we left the SPARTAN-III camp.

"_But perhaps when this war is over, I would like to have you as a goddaughter… At least, to quell my spirit until my time is over…_"

I was highly unfamiliar with the term, but I assumed that it had to do with family. If the chief really did want to adopt me, I would not refuse, for in my heart, I began to wonder if I really did have a family to begin with, like what the chief told me about. The roar of the falls was drowned out by my thoughts, as they spoke much louder in my heart and mind.

I began to imagine about this family the chief had described. Every family had at least a parent, but the only parents I could image was Dr. Halsey as my mother and Senior Chief Petty Officer Mendez as my father; nothing else would replace them. I sighed, only to be caught from behind by Kitty.

"Neala, the boys want their turn," she reported while hanging on to my shoulders. "But Tommy's not with them since he already got his… Hee-hee…"

I chuckled softly and swam out with her, wrapping the towels around our pale bodies and slipping on our clothes as we approached camp.

The Marines on duty saluted as we walked on to the premises, acknowledging our arrival. The other Spartans, noticing this, did the same thing before going back to their own business, whether it be checking the armor or talking about what to do in the city. I met up with the rest of my squad a few moments later. Charlie and Brass' hairs were dripping wet while Tommy seemed to have dirtied himself within the last few hours. With protesting shouts, Kitty and I laughed as our wolfen teammate was dragged towards the river for another bath. I stepped into my team's tent and assessed the cloth room.

It was very close-quartered, but there were six hammocks suspended from the support poles, two on the left, two on the right, and the last two at the back. The lower one in the back was used to stash our extra provisions while our weapons, most notably the MA5B, were hanging on one end of the suspended bed. Kitty automatically situated herself on the upper hammock of where I had planned to sleep. To tell the truth, she could never sleep well unless she was on the same side as I was, whether on the upper or the lower bunk. Even during our time on the _Warlord_, she had refused to sleep in her own quarters and bunked on my bed while I was mostly up at my desk, writing away as plans swam in my mind. Indeed, she was my little sister in more than one way.

By the time it was dark, Charlie and Brass returned with a very clean Tommy, who grumbled as he took the hammock above our extra provisions. I could tell that he was not in the best of moods and left him alone to sleep it off. As for Charlie and Brass, they promptly took their spaces and dozed off quietly. I dimmed the lights and looked around for a few minutes. The moon glowed softly in the west while the stars sparkled in a gentle sense. It reminded me of when I was running with Team Sitco under the light of Harsco. I sighed softly and murmured a small prayer to them as I gazed at the pale orb, saying that I was thinking of them and our other brothers and sisters, fighting with them in mind and in spirit.

"Nea?" I heard a tiny voice whisper. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

I walked over with a gentle smile and tucked her in with the coarse blanket.

"I just needed to say goodnight to our brothers and sisters who are watching over us…" I whispered in reply. "After all, they are family, right?"

Kitty nodded in a sleepy manner and curled up.

"Don't forget that… the admirals says… everyone needs to… Zzz…"

I laughed softly as she yawned and simply fell asleep. I crawled into my net, swaying softly as it rocked me to sleep. It was not like me to sleep so easily, but somehow that night, I was, as they say, sleeping like a baby…

* * *

_**Author's Notes: **_Sorry about not posting recently. During Winter Break, my external hard drive crashed, taking this story, along with 150 Gb of information with it. So, I've been working on getting things back together and managed to have a copy of this story on my laptop. I'll be posting another chapter or two to make up for the long wait.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

Many apologies,

Lt. Jessie Jay Falcon


	27. Chapter 26

_**Under Attack**_

**Time:**0535 hours

**Date:**June 2, 2583 (Military Calendar)

**Location** SPARTAN-III Base, Zerusesaro Mountain range, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"All right, men! Let's move out!"

Master Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN-384 was already up and about, getting his troops ready to help evacuate the city. With the Sangheili no longer their concern and in the hands of the SPARTAN-IVs, they had freer reign of the situation. With Warthogs and Pelicans, the teams left the base and dispersed into the metropolis.

Each team was made of one Spartan, two ODSTs, and three marines, all armed with the M6C along with the MA5B for the Marines and the BR55 for both the ODSTs and the Spartans. They quickly went straight to the residential areas, ushering out families to their vehicles and helping them tie down some possessions. While doing so, several of the Spartans had managed to attract a small crowd of kids, who looked up at them in fear and awe. Satoshi only nodded to his men to get back to work, especially with the elderly and those in the hospitals. It was highly crucial that the disabled units were moved out before getting the others off the planet. Hours rolled by, and at least three quarters of the city had already been evacuated. However, just when things were going smoothly, it happened…

Hundreds of Covenant dropships appeared out of the skies, Banshees escorting the Pelican counterpart as the tanks the city had fired back. The Spartan snipers quickly ran up to the roofs of the skyscrapers, clipping each flyer in the wings by killing the pilot with one shot.

"Chief!" one of the Marines shouted as he signaled for the Warthog to take off to the nearest airport with a stash of civilians. "We've got company!"

"Man the tanks and give them hell!!!" he ordered, ushering a family into a waiting truck. "Tanoak, bring out the fireworks to welcome our guests!"

"On it, chief!"

Before long, half a dozen of Anacondas flew into the air, each missile taking down a dropship. Jackals and Brutes could be seen jumping out of the ships, only to be sniped out of the air, their bodies dropping like dead flies on a hot summer's day. The Phantoms swooped down on the unsuspecting city, bombarding the buildings with heavy radioactive fire while plasma bolts ripped the concrete streets below.

People began to scream and panic, searching for their lost loved ones while others began to pilfer, taking advantage of the whole situation. Marines quickly captured these thieves while a majority of them were fighting off the Covenant ground troops. The Drones came as a swarm, destroying all they could see, ripping innocent human beings to shreds while devouring their freshly killed prey.

The Spartans opened fire on these winged insects, their purple blood mixing with the blood of slain humans. Satoshi roared as a child was taken away and ripped before his very eyes. His wrath burned greatly, and bolts of hot lead pierced through the natural armor, flesh splattering everywhere. Seeing that their chief had attacked with great ferocity, the Marines, ODSTs, and other Spartans pushed forward, driving away the Covenant the best they could while the other half of the Marines did the best they could to evacuate everyone. Knowing that they could not stand a chance alone, Randall quickly radioed for the SPARTAN-IVs on the other side of the city. It would take at least an hour to get to their position, but it was better than nothing…

* * *

**Time:**0935 hours

**Date:**June 2, 2583 (Military Calendar)

**Location:** SPARTAN-IV Base, Zerusesaro Mountain range, Uxxasr Omicron, Diluvia System

"Officer 468!"

I halted my training and looked up to see that one of the younger Marines was covered in sweat from running.

"What is going on, private?" I asked, slightly concerned at this urgency.

"It's Gunnery Sergeant Randall of the SPARTAN-IIIs!" he blurted. "He is requesting that you all head in to back them up. The Covenant has arrived and they are overwhelming the troops in the residential sector of the city!"

"Shit…" I growled. "Tell everyone to get ready to move out! Looks like the party has just started earlier than expected!"

"Yes, sir!"

I watched him leave our grounds and proceeded to my quarters, where Tommy was just pulling out the crate holding my armor.

"I thought you'd need this when the news finally came," he grinned as he revealed the gleaming sage green armor in the wooden crate.

"Always on time, aren't you, petty officer?"

I heard him chuckle as he laid out the ceramic pieces on the ground while I grabbed the black matte body armor. Kitty also came scampering in and tugged on Tommy to pull out her box. At first, he refused out of playfulness until she threatened him with her modified M6D. He pursed his lips and pulled out her crate, also unloading its contents before leaving. She grinned is she held her body armor in front of her.

"Now can I put it on?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Yes, now you can put it on."

I remembered that I had told her that once I got my armor on, she could do it also. The only problem was that neither of us were in full working condition yet, but this was war.

As soon as the two of us were alone, we quickly stripped off our workout clothes and slipped on the body-forming armor. It took a while to get into, as it was a very tight suit and almost everyone had some difficulties getting into it. The two of us were soon in our suits, armed for battle. Strapping the pistols to our sides and hanging the rifles on our backs, we geared up and headed out to the waiting 'Hogs and Wolverines that our platoon had finally brought down, along with a plethora of war-related weapons and vehicles. With most of my men being rocket-happy fighters, I assigned one to each group while balancing it out with a sniper and a close-quarter specialist.

Pei's team, made of herself, Isis, and Rath, took a set of Wolverines for scouting while Charlie's team, made of himself, Brass, and Tobias took one of the LAAV Warthogs. Harper and his teammates, Carl and Titus, were debating over taking the LRV Warthog or the Wolverines. Eventually, they had decided on taking an LAAV also. My team, however, made of Tommy and Kitty, decided to take the Wolverines. The thing was that we needed a quick way to separate when needed, and needed a fast getaway when we were under attack. The least it could do was split the enemy parties while letting the snipers do their jobs.

After going through the tentative plans at least twice, we went our separate ways, Charlie to the north, Pei to the south, Harper to the west, and my team taking the east. Our main goal was to run as many of these Covenant units away while also gathering whatever stragglers were hiding in the debris. We had to work fast, or else there would be many units who were innocent who would lose their lives for no reason.

With a quick wave, we all disappeared to our objectives, ready to take on anything that was standing between us and our goal.

"All units, get to your points and take out the units there," I commanded over our secure channel. "I've already sent a message to the SPARTAN-III leader, Master Chief Satoshi, that we will be engaging in this mission with him. Once the units have been taken out, proceed towards the center of the city. The Covenant flagship is hovering there, and that's where our war will be staged."

"Roger that, team leader!" all of my teammates responded. "LZ is in sight on our HUDs. We will be reporting in 0300 hours."

"Roger that, teams!"

I looked over at Tommy and Kitty, who were armed with rifles in one hand while the other held the handlebars of the ATV. I was running my part of the mission in my mind. The first thing was that we had to establish a mobile base camp. Tommy was in charge of that, but I was a bit uncertain about his abilities to set up a simple tent. After all, during our training in the Fantod Desert against the Stallion Company, he had snapped all our tent lines due to overstretching them.

We hid the vehicles in a debris-covered alley, taking only our weapons and supplies. Kitty went up first with her pistol and rope, only to throw down one end as a signal of it being safe to move up. Tying the crate of rockets to the end, we climbed up the over the high wall and proceeded into the shadows while Kitty quickly grabbed the crate. While the two set up the weapons, I stood at the edge and pulled out my binoculars, scouting the whole area.

Ghosts and Wraiths hovered on the streets while the Banshees and Phantoms flew about. Without warning, the Banshees exploded while a Phantom plummeted into the empty streets below, its live cargo burning to death. The other flying units caught sight of us and opened fire. Tommy, however, had other ideas. Taking three of the smoke bombs, he threw them high into the air and fired at the canisters with a pistol, a thick cloud of black haze landing on us. I knew what he was up to and quickly turned on our infrared scanners. The ion trails were clear and I saw three rockets launch into the air, all three hitting their intended target. We leapt off the building with our supplies, and disappeared under the confusion, but that was not the only thing. Tommy had decided to leave a 'gift' for our guests, and the whole building crumbled as the debris overtook our visuals. We quickly banked a right into an underground garage and waited out the storm above.

"What did you do?!" I asked, both in gratitude and bewilderment.

"Oh, just decided to leave a few candles on top of a cake of C12…" he chuckled as Kitty was turning about, looking for her charge pack.

"TOMMY!!! THAT WAS MY C12!!!" she trilled. "Why didn't you use your own?!"

"I did…" he replied with a snicker. "Just that the cake looked really tiny to feed a crowd that big…"

Kitty chased after Tommy a few minutes while I checked our provisions. Both C12 charges had been used, along with a quarter of our total rockets and two feet of fuse. I wrinkled my forehead while in slight thought.

"It would be wise that you didn't squander our supplies like that again," I warned, Tommy stopping in time for Kitty to pounce on him. "Even if you did take out that whole platoon, you don't know when those Covenant dogs will be hunting for us again…"

"I'll keep that in mind, team leader, but where to now?"

I pulled up the entire map of the city. My teams were now drawing their Covenant groups into the center, which was what I had planned. Several reports came in, saying that all the civilians had been evacuated from their sectors, as well as their surrounding areas, and they had met up with some of the SPARTAN-III units. I acknowledged them, but my units were under my command, no one else's. When I had given the seniorities my plans, they began to review them, checking for any flaws. A few minutes later, they had approved my plans and went along with it.

"Good work, Petty Officer 468," I heard a familiar voice greeting me over the COM. "Looks like you have the whole situation under control."

"Thank you, chief," I replied. "I do plan to get most of the Covenant troops to the center of the city and take them out in one shot. That is why I need all civilians evacuated."

"Well, good news is that the last troupe of Pelicans just left with the remaining evacuees. Now it's just us and them."

"Sir, permission to speak?"

"Permission granted."

"Sir, you wouldn't happen to have a Fury Tactical Nuke or an anti-tank mine, would you?"

"A nuke or a mine?" he asked.

I was sure he was quite confused, but could see where I was going with this.

"Yes, a large explosive of some sort, sir," I explained. "Unfortunately, one of my teammates 'accidentally' used most of the C12 charges to take out a large unit that was pursuing us."

"Well, we do have at least two Fury tac-nukes back at base. I can get one of our teammates back at base to bring it out and meet us at your rendezvous point."

"That will help very much, chief. I've already asked for our Scorpion to move out, along with Warthogs filled with explosives."

"Very well, 468. Keep an eye out for units coming after you. We'll keep moving."

"Roger that, chief. 468 out."

I looked at Kitty and Tommy, who were now readjusting their packs now that we had a lighter load.

"We better move out while we can," I suggested. "The longer we stay, the more time they have to find the crystal…"

"Good idea," Kitty replied with a slight purr. "I just checked the map, and everyone is now within two kilometers of our rendezvous point. Should I give them a message and tell them to ready their weapons?"

"That's a good idea… Tell everyone to ready themselves. The snipers need to be up on the roofs to pick off the units below, thinning them while we rush the ship. Sooner we blow that thing, the more time we have to find the crystal."

"Wait, wouldn't it be better if we let the Covenant find the crystal and we just steal it from them?" Tommy asked as we pulled out. "I mean, it means less searching time for us."

"That's true… But for now, let's just play this safe and get the flagship destroyed."

We rode out, taking the lower pathways hidden by the upper bridges. It took us a bit to reach our gathering place at the Long Stream Business Plaza, but as soon as my teammates had arrived, I assessed what I had to work with.

All twelve of the SPARTAN-IV units, including myself, were on the scene, along with forty-eight Marines, twenty-four ODSTs, and six of the SPARTAN-IIIs, amongst them Master Chief Petty Officer Satoshi. I saluted at his presence, only to stand down when he nodded. The one tagged as 'Tanoak' on my HUD appeared behind the chief. I saw him exchanging some information, only to leave when he was done.

"Your tac-nuke and anti-tank mine are here, 468," the chief responded. "What do you plan to do, take the whole central city with you?"

"No, sir, but I do intend to take out their flagship by sending it into one of their transport units."

"A bit much, no?"

"I know, sir, but only a few will be going with me, namely, my team and one other squad."

"What about the rest of us?"

"Well, sir, I do want you to find the crystal and get out of here."

"We aren't leaving anyone behind," I heard Charlie chime in. "You told me that we are all in this together. We go in together…"

"…And we come out together…" I finished. "All right… Chief, looks like we have a change of plans then. We'll need to split up once more and find that rock. Once we find it, we can blast that ship and get out of here."

"Good idea, 468, but what about the ship? They're going be tracking us," Harper pointed out.

"No need to worry about that… We'll figure something out. For now, we search and destroy on sight. Any questions?"

"Sir! No, sir!"

"Good. All my units will take at least two Marines. The ODSTs I do not know how to separate…"

"We'll set up the ODSTs with us and take the rest of the Marines."

"Very well, chief. Everyone, split up and take a sector of the city. Try not to separate your teammates, but search high and low for the relic. Anyone who gets in your way, terminate them."

There was a murmur, but I could tell that Chief Satoshi was assessing me as a leader. For what reason, I did not care. I was giving commands as needed, and they were to be followed.

"Check in with other units every 0200 hours. If there are any problems regarding the mission, then contact any unit on our frequency. Nearby units are to answer any distress signal on our or the civilian frequency. For civilian frequencies, make sure that it isn't the Covenant tapping in to find our locations. All right, let's move out!"

I stared at the chief one last time before leaving with Kitty and Tommy in tow. Now it was a race against time to reach our goal before the Covenant did.


End file.
